Dying young is thought to be one of the most tragic of circumstances. The thoughts of lives wasted, dreams unattained, memories never conceived. It is sad fate uncontrollable by any earthly being. Most people desire to live to a ripe old age as to take full advantage of their time on earth, to experience as much as they can, and would be aghast to have premature death be viewed in a positive light. Yet this thought is the driving force behind "To an Athlete Dying Young" by A.E. Housman. Housman, the speaker of the poem, implies in an ironic tone that it is better to die in one's prime, at the height of glory, as to not suffer from the pain of seeing their