Firstly, the speaker doesn’t jump straight into death, but started cheerful to honor the athlete. In the first stanza “We chaired you through the …show more content…
When the athlete has passed and his eyes are closed and can see nothing but darkness. The athlete “Cannot see the record cut” (Housman, 14). When the eyes are closed that athlete can’t see his record broken and feelings of disappointments. Others reader would rather feel disappointed than being dead. The speaker suggested that when the athlete is not as good “silence sounds no worse than cheers” (Housman, 15). As the athlete grows old, he would not be as athletic or great as when he once was. Also, suggests that being dead the athlete will not hear the negative talks being made towards him because when you are gone you won’t be able to hear. In the fifth stanza, the speaker said “Runners whom renown outran. And the name died before the man.” (Housman, 19-20). He is stating that the fame of the athlete will eventually die before the athlete passes away. This stanza puts forward, since our athlete has died, he doesn’t have to worry about that issue and he’ll be remembered for his