Gary Salomon
English 1101
Professor Di Leo
July 24, 2011
Short Paper 3
In the short poem, “To an Athlete Dying Young,” A.E. Housman vividly illustrates the
rise and fall of a champion through the use of intertextual writing. Though thought to some as
plagiarism, intertextuality is found in all writing and is the tool successful writers wield to
compose works of their own creativity. In order to fully grasp the meaning and recognize
authorship behind complex pieces of texts, one must understand the origin and the purpose of the
intertextuality. Published in 1896, “To an Athlete Dying Young” is written by Housman toward
his society during World War I when young men were forced to cast aside their youth to fight in
the war just like the young man in this poem. The poem introduces a young runner who has just
recently won a race in his town. After illustrating the town’s appraisal for his victory, the poem
transitions into the runner’s funeral where it is apparent that he has died at an early age. Instead
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- Summer '11
- DiDeo
- Semantics, World War II, Madrid Metro, Athlete Dying Young, A.E. Housman
-
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