Analysis of A. E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young” Dying young is considered by most to be one of the most tragic of fates. The specter of things undone and a life unlived haunts the funeral and colors the grief to an even darker shade. Most people desire to live to a ripe old age and would be shocked to have a premature death viewed in a positive light. Yet, this is exactly the driving force behind A. E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young.” In the poem, dying young and at the height of your career is looked upon as fortunate. Living and watching your laurels wither away is worse than death.