To an Athlete Dying Young Themes

Shmoop hopes this theme doesn't come as a surprise. If it does, you might want to work on your close-reading skills. Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young" has death right there in the title. And si...

In "To an Athlete Dying Young," Housman introduces the idea of home in the very first stanza. You should see a big ol' theme flag flapping wildly in the poet-y breeze. It's telling you to be on the...

In "To an Athlete Dying Young," the speaker spends lots of time on, well, time. He seems very concerned about the effect of time on fame, glory, and prowess. (Shmoop worries about time, too: luncht...

For better or worse, pride and competition often go hand in hand. In "To an Athlete Dying Young," pride plays an important role. The speaker suggests that, by dying young, the athlete will never ha...