For this blog post, you will choose a character from our literature so far (no character from ETHAN FROME may be used) and discuss how that character best compares to the athlete in Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young." You will blog about this in class (and not before that) and then we'll discuss what you have afterward. You should cite specifics to make your point and the post itself has to be at least 100 words.
The character of Ligeia in Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name best compares to the the athlete in Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" because of her early death and how she is remembered by the narrator. In Housman's poem, the character of the athlete dies while he is still in his prime, and so will not live to see his record broken, or suffer the hardships that come with getting older. Housman's speaker in this poem says to the athlete that this is the best course, as he will have only known good things, and since he has had no time to make mistakes or come down from his point of glory in the eyes of others, he will only be remembered in a positive light. Such is the case with Ligeia, the wife of the narrator in that story. Throughout the story, the only things spoken about her are positive, such as her extensive intelligence, endless kindness, and captivating beauty. Even while she dies he is awed by her final words as she says that those who have the will to live should not have to die. As Ligeia died young and is remembered fondly, she best relates to the athlete in "To An Athlete Dying Young" than any other character we have come across in our literature so far.
ReplyDeleteThe athlete from "To An Athlete Dying Young" is similiar to Beatrice from "Rappaccini's Daughter" because the athlete dies during the peak of their life. This is like Beatrice because she thought that Giovanni loved her. This was the peak of happiness in her life. She was happy, and when it was taken away from her, she would rather be dead, than have to go on living unhappily. The athlete in "To An Athlete Dying Young" is similiar because he dies at his prime so he wont have to live through the pain of being replaced, or forgotten. Both Beatrice and the athlete would rather die than live a life that they feel is unsatisfying in some way.
ReplyDeleteThe athlete in the poem can be compared to Giovanni in Rappaccini’s daughter. In the beginning of the poem and throughout the story both characters are young and starting something new. Giovanni has just moved to a new city and the athlete has started a race and is at his peak of his career. Both can also be compared by their aspirations and wishes. The athlete wants to keep winning his races and become a legend and Giovanni wants to get to know Beatrice and marry her. Also the neither of the two really have a strong leader in their lives. The athlete does not have anyone helping him with his fame and glory and Giovanni has Baglioni, but he turns out to be misleading and not a good role model for Giovanni. Finally, both the athlete and Giovanni’s hopes die early in their life. In the poem the athlete never gets to live out his full life and finish his career as a runner and Giovanni’s love, Beatrice, dies before they even have a chance of being together.
ReplyDeleteKatie Ke
ReplyDeleteI think that Roger Chillingworth from The Scarlet Letter is most similar to the athlete in "To An Athlete Dying Young" because both men strive in order to be better than others. In The Scarlet Letter, Chillingworth tries to be the better man in the sense that he is able to trick the other into being brought down without realizing it. He tries to make sure that he makes Dimmesdale feel guilty, and in this way he is gaining revenge to make himself the stronger man. However, once Dimmesdale is able to conquer Roger Chillingworth by admitting to his wrongdoing and also be freed from his pains, Roger realizes that he no longer can thrive off of the revenge that he was gaining on Dimmesdale. Because of this realization that he can no longer affect Dimmesdale negatively, Roger eventually dies because he no longer has a purpose. Similarly, in "To An Athlete Dying Young," the author strives to make sure that he is the best athlete. When he believes that he has reached his full potential and can only get worse at his athleticism, he decides to kill himself so that he will not have to deal with the worry of someone else defeating his records.
Jessie R:
ReplyDeleteThe character in literature that we have read about so far who can compare to the athlete in Houseman's "To an Athlete Dying Young," is Chillingworth from "The Scarlet Letter." Chillingwoth can be compared to the athlete because once he was defeated in his plot to exploit Dimmesdale, he disappeared. Chillingworth may not have been in his prime days like the athlete, but he was the most evil than he had ever been before. Chillingworth was at his peak of cruelty and once his reasons to live were taken away, so was he. Plotting against Dimmesdale using his evil ways was Chillingworth's identity. Without that purpose, Chillingwoth had no reason to stay in that town any longer, just like how the athlete had reached his highest potential and died because he could not get any better than what he already was.
I think that the character that best compares to the athlete in Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" is Rip Van Winkle. Before Rip goes to the mountains, he is very well liked in the town. He is very popular, especially with the women, children and dogs. This is similar to the athlete because he is a smart lad who is very well liked and supported after he wins the race. Rip travels to the mountains for a break from his wife and the town, maybe because he was afraid he had nothing good in his future. The athlete from the poem may have committed suicide because he was afraid he had reached the top of his game and had no where to go but down. The two characters are similar because they had a good out look on life at first, but soon they viewed life negatively.
ReplyDeletehannah p.
ReplyDeleteI think that the character that best compares with the athlete in Housman’s “To An Athlete Dying Young” is Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter. In the poem, the narrator says that they carried the athlete through the market-place, and that reminded me of the market-place in The Scarlet Letter that Hester was forced to stand on and that Dimmesdale later took his place on. In the poem, the narrator describes the runner as a townsman, which is what the minister is within his town. In the poem, it says that it was better that the athlete died while he was in his prime, otherwise his success would have withered like a rose. This mention of a rose reminded me of the beautiful rose bush in front of the prison doors in The Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale’s secret sin he held inside was the rose bush’s thorns, but the rest of his being parallels with the beauty of the rose. I also think Arthur Dimmesdale best represents the athlete because, like the runner, the minister died in his “prime”. Since Dimmesdale’s preaching techniques and his recent sermons were becoming more and more efficient and crowd-drawing, he was considered to be in his prime. The runner passed away while he was on top of his game, and Dimmesdale died at the peak of his ministry.
Mariah C
ReplyDeleteThe character that I feel best compares to the athlete in the poem is Ligeia. Ligeia was at her prime in her life when she died also. She had a beautiful home that the narrator describes to us. Ligeia had a husband that worshiped the ground that she walked on and was dear to her heart. The athlete in the poem was explained at being the best in what he did. Upon his death he was carried high amongst he fellow runners. The athlete was worshiped by those that carried him high up. The same as Ligeia was worshiped by the narrator. Both characters have people that admire them. The characters both also have no words that are being spoken to the readers. We as readers do not know how the characters fell.
I think Rappacini's daughter was like the character from the poem "To An Athlete Dying Young" because she also died before her prime. She was a young girl that was pretty healthy, except for the fact that she was poisonous, and she unknowingly killed herself because she was trying to be better than she thought she was. She was also in a race to win Baglioni's heart. She wanted to prove to him that she could be better person by taking this "medicine" and this shows she would basically do anything to win his love. Her relationship was also in its prime with Baglioni. She died before she could see where that relationship was going and that is a great misfortune.
ReplyDeleteI think the character that bests paralles "To An Athlete Dying Young" is Ligeia. In Housman's poem, the winning athlete is preserved as golden because he died at the peak of his career, before he could see someone break his coveted record. In a similar fashion, Ligeia too, was held at a perfect standard to the narrator in the story; to him, she could do no wrong and was seen as perfect, without flaws in his eyes. The runner in the story was seen as a hero, because of his win he brought the small communtiy together, and the fact that he died before his potential could truly fade away. and Ligeia, with all of her knowledge and beauty, also died before the narrator could somehow fall out of love or find fault with her, thus the two stay gold.
ReplyDeleteDimmesdale, in The Scarlet Letter, and the unnamed athlete, in "To an Athlete Dying Young," are similar in the sense that they both died in the prime of their life and the peak of their infamy. Dimmesdale is a young, well-liked man in his small town, as is the athlete, and they both drawn attention from their peers for their major achievements (Dimmesdale's being a young, powerful priest and the athlete's awards and athletic skill). As well as their recognition, they both live with unbearable secret, such as Dimmesdale's illegitimate child and the athlete's suicidal thoughts. Finally, they are also similar in the sense that they both died while attention was drawn toward them for either scandal or athletic achievement.
ReplyDeleteI think that Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter is the best parallel to the athlete in the poem. This is because right before Dimmesdale dies everyone in the town has just found out that he is the man she had the affair with. Dimmesdale can now live with the woman he loves and their daughter with no secrets. They can finally start the life they both wanted, but then he dies. Just like the man in the poem who could have lived out the fame of being a superstar. They both died right when things would have taken a turn for the better. I think the character Dimmesdale is the best parallel to the athlete in the poem.
ReplyDeleteMelissa K.
ReplyDeleteA character from the literature I have read that best compares to the athlete from Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" is Ligea. Ligea was looked at by the narrator of the story to be the most educated women he has ever known. He always had such great things to say about her. He never saw her at fault which caused her to be perfect in his eyes. Unfortunately,she died at a young age. However, all her qualities that she had such as her beauty, her education, and her individualism did not die with her. Therefore, that is what the narrator remembered her as. Whereas if she died at an old age, there would have been room for plenty of fault, loss of beauty, and dependence on other people which is what she could have been remembered for, rather the good qualities that lived on from her.
I think that Ligeia, from "Ligeia" best compares to the athlete in Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young." In the athlete dying young, the runner died when he had just reacehd the peak of his running career. Not physically died, but died in his career. He wanted to be known as the greatest. In the story Ligeia, she died when her relationship with the narrator just started to get serious. Just when the narrator and Ligeia had finally settled down and living a normal life, she died. The athlete and Ligeia are similar because they both died figuritivley and in real life before their lives got better or worse.
ReplyDeleteThe character that is most like the athlete is Dimmesdale from the Scarlet letter because when he died it was kind right at the top of the scandal on controversy around him just as it was with the athlete and when he died at the top of his fame. Another example is that the athlete never got to fall out of fame Dimmesdale never got to fall away from the scandal and when he died he never all of the hurt and things that would come later in life. He would not have to be there to see Hester die or her grow old or anything of that sort. Although the feelings of not being the best and feelings of losing someone important are two different things both of them did not have to feel any of those feelings because they died so young.
ReplyDeleteDimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter, in my opinion, best compares the athlete in Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young." Both characters are loved among their communities and respected by many people. For Dimmesdale, the congregation loved their priest because he was young and he believed in the same things they did, such as God and fitting into society. The athlete is respected among his village because he broke a record and brought fame to their town. They both die young and are soon overshadowed by others in their community who either break their record or overshadow them because they break their fame or their moment in the sun.
ReplyDeleteShawntene' J.
ReplyDeleteIn the story Rip Van Winkle was compared to Rip Van Winkle because he was a known hero around the town that picked the athlete up and carried him around on their shoulders. The people in Rip Van Winkle adore the things that he does for the community and the people are all adoring the athlete that has lead them to some victory. Throughout the poem there is something happening to athlete and things are happening to Rip Van Winkle.
Dimmesdale in the Scarlet letter parallels to the life of the young dying athlete. Dimmesdale was a new priest in a new town who had obtained the respect of the entire town’s people. Same with the young athlete, he had obtained a great deal of respect from all of his town’s people because of his athletic achievements. Both Dimmesdals and the young dying athlete had a pretty good life previous to their life altering experience. When the young athlete has come to his peak in running he decides that it is time to die. He cannot stand to be beaten out by someone else, so he eliminates that possibility by ending his life. His death reflects his own trouble with accepting the truth that he may not be the “best” forever. Dimmesdale was very similar in this sense; the secret affair that he has with Hester eats away at his soul and eventually leads him into madness.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ligeia best compares to the athlete in To an Athlete Dying Young because in the beginning, she was loved by the unnamed narrator very much like the unnamed athlete was loved by all the people in the town. Ligeia also had special place in the heart of the narrator just like the athlete had a special place in the hearts of all the people in town that knew him. The last comparison that I believe Ligeia has with the athlete was that they were both cut down in the prime of their lives went they were just beginning to actually live, like Ligeia living her life with the narrator and the athlete starting his career in sports.
ReplyDeleteThe athlete in the poem is like Ligeia in Edgar Allen Poe's story. When the poem talks about the athlete "withering as quickly as the rose," it is like when Ligeia gets sick and dies. The narrator in the story of Ligeia was so fascinated by her, just like the people in the poem were so fascinated and proud of the athlete. The poem talks about "eyes the shady night has shut," and it is like Ligeia because she is very mysterious.
ReplyDeleteLigeia in Edgar Allen Poe’s Ligeia is parallel to the athlete in “An Athlete Dying Young”. Both the athlete in the story and Ligeia both die young. They are both well-liked and loved. They are both dearly missed by the ones they leave behind. Ligeia dies from a sickness she could not control. The athlete dies from something he cannot control as well. Both Ligeia and the athlete are seen as heroes in their lives when they are alive. Ligeia lives a very comfortable life before she dies. She is treated like royalty by her love, the narrator of Ligeia. The athlete in the poem also lives a comfortable life before he dies. He is patronized and develops followers for his great athleticism. Ligeia and the athlete are both young adults who were taken from the world too early.
ReplyDeleteI think Ligeia best compares to the athlete in Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young." I think this because Ligeia was at the peak of her life, she had a great husband who worshiped her and gave her everything she needed and wanted, was beautiful, and intelligent. Suddenly, she became ill and for many days and nights and everything was lost, except her strong will to live. The narrator never forgot about Ligeia, she always lived in his heart, and was always on his mind. The athlete in the poem was at the top in his life when he broke the record.The citizens of the town worshiped him and thought he was the greatest until he died and someone else broke his record. Which then, he was forgotten about by the citizens and along with him, his record was buried.
ReplyDeleteI think that the athlete dying young is similar to Beatrice in Rappaccini's Daughter. Both the athlete and Beatrice died in the peak of their lives; they are similar in this regard. The peak of the athlete's life was winning his race, while the peak of Beatrice's life was thinking that Giovanni loved her.
ReplyDeleteThey also both die so that their life wouldn't be unsatisfying. The athlete does not want to grow old and feel the pain of being replaced, while Beatrice does not want to bear the thought of being unloved. When the things that make them happy are taken away, the two characters would rather die than live a miserable life.
The Character that I believe parallels most to the athlete described in the poem "To an athlete dying young" is Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter. Both the athlete and Dimmesdale were prominent people in society that people looked up to, the athlete being a hero, and Dimmesdale as a religious leader. Both had to deal with the stress that this brought along. Having to live up to the standards of society was more than either of them could handle. The demands to be the perfect role model for others took them both down and it ended in their deaths. Under the pressure the athlete died young, either from an accident or possible suicide. Arthur Dimmesdale couldn’t take it any longer and confessed his burning secret and then died probably from the anxiety of it all. The athlete not wanting to be forgotten and Dimmesdale not wanting to disappoint anyone or be criticized, they both shared the strain of expectations on their shoulders and were unable to handle it.
ReplyDeleteAllie R
ReplyDeleteDimmesdale relates best to the athlete. Dimmesdale was an admired man, who had the town's people attention and love. They respected him and loved listening to him and gathering for his teachings. The athlete also had much love and attention from his town. He ran and people really enjoyed watching him. The athlete also decided on his death, he had events that had led up to this day and the mental build up of stress and worries over took him. As for Dimmesdale, he also had a mental build up of what he went through, what he had caused and what the towns people would have thought of him if they had ever known. Both Dimmesdale and the athlete brought himself to death with his events and emotional stress.
I think that the character Dimmesdale best compares to the athlete in " To An Athlete Dying Young". Dimmesdale, like the character from the story, died during his glory. Like the athlete in the Poem, Dimmesdale is supported and honored by the people of his town. Dimmesdale did not want to lose his fame and the trust of his fellow citizens. Dimmesdale could not bare the fact of being shunned by the people who love him. He did not want to ruin his reputation. Dimmesdale decides to unvail his secret after his speech when many people watched him. At this time he was at a "high". He decided to unvail his secret right before he new he was going to die.
ReplyDeleteThe athlete in “To an athlete dying young” is similar to Beatrice in “Rappacini’s daughter”. The athlete in the poem died when he was very young and while he was enjoying his life after winning the big race. Similarly Beatrice in “Rappacini’s Daughter” dies while she is young and is happy with the way her life is going, and with her love for Giovanni. In the story Beatrice said that she did not want to live her life without Giovanni which would make her very unhappy and would rather be dead. The athlete dies right after his achievement so he would not have to live to see someone break his record or replace him. Both of these characters die at a time in their life where they will not have to live unhappily or experience pain.
ReplyDeleteLauren C
The character that best compares to the athlete in Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" is Beatrice from "Rappaccini's Daughter". I chose her because in an athlete dying young it talks about someone who was once on top of the world but then has died. I think that Beatrice was, in a way, on top of the world just like the athlete in this poem because she was her father's prized possession, just like the athlete was his village's prize winner. Also, both of the characters died young and while they were still loved. Beatrice died while Giovanni was in love with her and the athlete died while he was still loved by his village and remembered. Both the athlete and Beatrice were both "smart to slip away" when they did because things were not going to get better for either of them. If Beatrice had lived she would still be the same girl that could not touch anything without hurting it, and the athlete would have been forgotten.
ReplyDeleteAllison S.
ReplyDelete"To an athlete dying young" is in much relationship to Beatrice in Rappacinis Daughter. In an athlete dying young he had a chance to live very little just as Beatrice did except in different ways. Beatrice lived a while but she couldn’t really live. When she would touch something it would die except for her flowers which made her not live her life to its fullest. In The poem the athlete for some unknown reason does not have a long life. In both cases it is strange for someone to pass away and let life passes them by. Both stories talk about living life less than it should be lived. Beatrice by not being able to touch without killing and the athlete actually not living long.
The character in Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young" can be paralleled to the title character in Edgar Allan Poe's short story "Ligeia". Both characters are extremely talented people during their young lives: Ligeia is intelligent, fluent in various languages and sciences, and regarded by her husband as the most intelligent woman he has ever known, while the character in the poem was a successful runner who break numerous records during his lifetime. Yet, both die while they are still young and in their prime. Because of this, those who survive Ligeia and the athlete remember them in this prime, and are able to adore them for it.
ReplyDeleteDimmesdale from the Scarlet Letter is most like the athlete in "An Athlete Dying Young." Throughout the entire novel, Dimmesdale tries to be someone he is not. He abandons the person he is (Pearl's father) because he feels pressured to be the 'perfect' minister from the town whom everyone thinks he is. Both the athlete and Dimmesdale compromise the lives of people they care very much about; the athlete compromses his own life while Dimmesdale compromise the life of his family as well. The athlete also feels the pressure to be perfect. Dimmesdale is afraid of making mistakes. Just like the athlete, Dimmesdale wants to continue to bring happiness to the people of the town. Both Dimmesdale and the athlete fear they will not live up to the standards other people have for them. In turn, they are prevnted from being the people they truly are.
ReplyDeleteI think the character from our literature so far that best embodies the athlete from Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young” is Roger Chillingworth. The people in his town praised because they believed he was a great doctor. They carried him high in their thoughts so high that they were not able to see the evil his was doing. The poem says “It withers quicker than the rose”. The rose can be compared to Hester. By the end of the book, Hester outlives Chillingworth. He thinks that he is the more powerful than Dimmesdale. His revenge has blinded him and he was not able to see the trouble he caused to himself and others. When Dimmesdale tells the truth, cleans his record, he does not that the fear to fed off of anymore so he dies. After his death his name is not remembered just as the “the name died before the man” in the poem.
ReplyDeleteThe athlete in Housman's "To An Athlete Dying Young" can be paralleled to Giovanni in Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter." This is because both of the characters do not have the leadership of their own lives. What I mean by this is that they both have something or someone else almost controlling and manipulating their lives to be molded in a certain way. The athlete has the glory and the fame he recieves following his victory. This victory makes the athlete's way of living from then. He cannot think of himself not being a champion and that thought leads him to death. Also for Giovanni, behind him there is Baglioni who uses him to show Rappaccini that he was wrong. Furthermore this whole thing is done without Giovanni knowing Baglioni's intention. Also they both die when they are in the most happiest and gloomiest moments of their lives. For the athlete, he dies when he becomes a champion, but then he is pressured to the thought that he cannot give the champion title to someone else. For Giovanni, at this time he is at the happiest moments because he finds out that Beatrice loves him too. However, on the other side, he finds out that he is also poisoned to the flower.
ReplyDeleteThe character that best parallels the athlete in "To an Athlete Dying Young" is Ligeia. Ligeia and the athlete were both greatly loved in different senses, however, the love people have for them is comparable. The athlete is loved by many and is mourned when he dies. When Ligeia dies, the narrator states that he is unable to live without her and considers committing suicide. It does not matter how many people love you, quality is more important than quantity. Also, both characters may grow to be unloved by the ones who previously loved them so much. When an athlete dies, they are usually not remembered unless they are the best in the world. They grow old and their talents fade, and can be forgotten. If Ligeia had been able to grow old and her youthful beauty and knowledge fades, would the narrator continue to harbor such a passion for her?
ReplyDeleteI think Ligeia parallels the athlete in this poem best. Similar to the athlete, she dies in her prime. In the poem, the athlete had been greatly praised after his victory. The celebration and recognition of his achievement did not have time to leave before he died. Therefore, he died without seeing what he accomplished be overshadowed. Ligeia also died at the height of her marriage and life. She was able to still see the vast amount of love her husband had for her, as well as express her great love to him. If she had grown old, their love could have diminished. However, in her death she did not see this happen. Both characters died surrounded by love or celebration and died as they were still in the mists of these great feelings.
ReplyDeleteIn "An Athlete dying young", i can see similarities to the man being described in relation to Legeia in the short story "Ligeia". In the poem, the athlete dies young as so does Ligeia. "A man stood cheering by" in the poem, is like Ligeia's husband stood by her and read for her and slept in the room that she was dying in. In "An Athlete dying young' the athlete dies with no strength as do Ligeia dies with little strength. In "An Athlete Dying young" the man never lives to see his record broken, and in "Ligeia " the character Ligeia dies young with out bein able to see her husbands second wife.
ReplyDeleteBethany R
ReplyDeleteI think Reverend Dimmesdale from the Scarlet Letter best compares to the athlete in Housman’s “To An Athlete Dying Young”. Dimmesdale is loved by his community and everyone thinks he is the best preacher around. They put him on a pedestal and worship everything he does. The reason Dimmesdale never tells anyone about his secret sin with Hester is that he doesn’t want anyone’s opinion about him to change. He wants everyone to continue to see him as the best at what he does, and feels that he would die if is secret sin was made known. When Dimmesdale admits that he has committed the sin of adultery, he does die, and everyone disregards what he said. Similarly, the athlete from “To An Athlete Dying Young” is put on a pedestal by his fans and dies in his prime when no one else has defeated him yet. He dies thinking that he is the best at what he does, and will never know it if his record is broken. Neither will Dimmesdale ever meet his replacement, because he is dead. So both Dimmesdale and the athlete die before they can be replaced, and everyone honors them in death for what they did while they were living.
The character that most parallels the athlete in "To An Athlete Dying Young" is Beatrice from "Rappaccini's Daughter". The athlete is at the top of his game in winning competitions when he dies and Beatrice finally found someone whom she love and loves her back when she dies. She and the athlete both die when their lives are at their best. Beatrice dies trying to rid herself of her poisonous qualities so she can live a life of happiness with Giovanni. The athlete is trying to avoid having to watch his fame and talent disintegrate. They both die at the peak of their lives while trying to maintain their happiness.
ReplyDeleteColleen O
ReplyDeleteI think that Housman's poem, "To An Athelete Dying Young," is best compared to the circumstance of the character Beatrice from "Rappacini's Daughter." Like the character in the poem, Beatrice died in the prime of her life, and experienced little upset before her sudden death. She lived mostly in a state of tranquility and experienced pure beauty on a daily basis. It wasn't until the last few days of her life that she realized the world had more to offer than just an exotic garden. When she died, she was very much loved, and had hopes for a better life free of the garden. She died not in the despairs of illness or defeat, but love The athlete died with a victory under his belt, and never realized loss.
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ReplyDeleteSam M
ReplyDeleteI think that in the poem "To An Athlete Dying Young" Bartleby is very similar to the athlete. Mainly because Bartleby is popular in the office, he's very good at what he does and he is at some point noticed in the story by people. The athlete, is very talented, very popular in the town and noticed at some point in the poem by people. However Bartleby, like the athlete does not recognize or really care about the attention given for various reasons. Bartleby seems to be extremely selfless and clearly does not appreciate or care about anything going on in his life. This is like the athlete because he too does not appreciate his talents and wishes not to be challenged with the difficulty of being anything greater than what he already is or achieved. I also think that Bartleby has a similar attitude to the athlete in some ways. They overall don't appreciate their lives and would rather die or physically act numb then offer something to the world.
The character from the poem "To an Athlete Dying Young" the main character relates to Dimmesdale. In the poem the athlete won the race and achieved his greatest accomplishment. For winning the race he received glory and praise from the townspeople of his hometown. The poem talked about how the athlete wanted or did commit suicide because he could not handle the pressure. The athlete was unable to live with the fact that someone could beat his record and his fame would fade as time went on.
ReplyDeleteDimmesdale from "The Scarlet Letter" relates to the athlete in this poem. As minister of his hometown people looked up to him as well as praised him. Dimmesdale was seen as a role model of the town and was well respected. Inside though he did not respect himself because of the adultery him and Hester Prynne committed. He knew Hester had to live everyday with the whole town knowing of her wrong doing while he was still respected due to the town not knowing his was involved. Due to this pressure he beat himself up physically and mentally b hurting his body and starving himself.
Both characters lived under pressure and did not know how to handle it without hurting themselves and living with what they did have.
I think the character that best compares to the athlete from the story “To An Athlete Dying Young” is Ligeia. The narrator from Ligeia, Edgar Allan Poe, describes Ligeia as perfect and someone with not faults. Edgar describes her as knowledgeable and beautiful as well. The athlete was at his prime for running and was portrayed as someone who had accomplished so much. Both Ligeia and the athlete died at an early age, and are both remembered fondly. They both died only being known and remembered in a positive light. This is why Ligeia best compares to the athlete from the story “To An Athlete Dying Young”.
ReplyDeletePaula B.
ReplyDeleteRip Van Winkle is one character who is similar to the athlete in "To An Athlete Dying Young" by A.E. Housman.
In Rip Van Winkle, Rip is favored by many citizens of his village because he teaches the children to fly kites, shoot marbles, and tell stories. He also helps neighbors by husking corn, building fences, and running errands. Because Rip does all these things, almost everyone knows him and praises him for what he has done. But although Rip is highly praised by many, is wife does not praise him for his good deeds because he only does these good deeds for neighbors.
The athlete is like Rip when it comes to popularity. When the athlete wins the race, everyone stands by and cheers because of the win. The athlete is also put on the spot when he is "brought [home] shoulder-high" (Housman). However, once another person breaks a new record after the athlete dies, his accomplishment is forgotten. This is similar to Rip's good deeds being forgotten by his wife. His wife disregards them because he is lazy on his own farm and doesn't do work.
My computer died in class today so that's why this is posted now. I have a paper copy if proof is needed. Thanks :]
Adrianna A
ReplyDeleteThe character Ethan Frome is like the athlete in Housman's "To AN Athlete Dying Young". Frome is a man who lives with his wife whom which he does not love, as well as the cousin of his wife whom he loves dearly. As a result of this situation, Ethan's life consists of hiding his love. Whenever he would be alone with Mattie, Zeena would be holding him back from true love. Thos compares to the line "from fields where glory does not stay" (Housman); The glory between Ethan and Mattie does not last long. The line "so set, before its echoes fade" (Houseman), relates to how Ethan tries to get closer to Mattie before his wife interferes. Ethan Frome is like the athlete in this poem because like the athlete, like Frome, has his moments but within a sudden moment, it fades away.
**my google account was not working in class, i found out i had to make a new one.
i had it done during class yesterday.
I believe that the character Ligeia from "Ligeia" best relates to the character from "An Athlete Dying Young" because, like the athlete, she died young. When she died she was seen by the narrator as this amazing presence that was flawless and perfect, much like a legend that dies at the top of his game. When you die at the top of your game people remember you as being an amazing person in whatever field you were in. They see the accomplishments, the glories, but forget anything that you may have done bad. She died before she could see herself being replaced by someone better, so she did not have to go through the hardships of seeing herself become second best. Just like the character from "An Athlete Dying Young", he died at the top of his game, he doesn't have to go through the hardships and self doubt that would have been brought with him. Ligeia is a person everyone looks up to and envy's just like the character from "An Athlete Dying Young" everyone looks up to their glory and what they have accomplished
ReplyDeleteRachel L