In the poem "Ex-Basketball Player" the author John Updike asserts the theme that some people spend their entire lives remembering the past instead of focusing on their present future. The character in the poem‚ a man named Flick Webb use to be a very good basketball player in high school. He seems to be caught up in what he was and not what he is now. His life is just passing by him because he is stuck in the past and not focused on what he is doing in his life now. He floats around on his job and
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Beowulf concretely establishes the traditional hero/villain roles only to have Grendel pulverize this concept proving that just as Grendel the character cannot exist without Beowulf the character‚ Grendel the novel cannot exist without Beowulf the poem. Gardner utilizes alliteration‚ demonic kennings‚ negative diction‚ pathos‚ first point of view‚ pleading repetition‚ innocent tone‚ and beastlike imagery to manipulate the villain role and create compassion for Grendel. Through the use of pathos
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diminish quickly over time. In “To an Athlete Dying Young‚” the author proves the idea of the nonexistence of everlasting fame. Throughout the poem‚ the notion that fame follows a cycle is present‚ and the author furnishes the reader with a scenario that shows true emotion in the succession of fame. It begins with an athlete winning it all‚ bringing achievement‚ pride‚ and gratification to oneself and his or her town. The crowd is cheering‚ raising the athlete above all. The author has a positive
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of “To an Athlete Dying Young” In his poem “To an Athlete Dying Young”‚ A.E. Housman makes a quite different approach on death. People have different perspectives on death‚ but more often than not‚ it is viewed as an undesirable event that people wish to avoid. The speaker in the poem‚ however‚ praises a young and famous athlete for dying before he became old and forgotten. This can be interpreted two very different ways. One can assume Housman believes that the only way for athletes to capture
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“To an Athlete Dying Young” by A. E. Houseman is about death and how young people have it easier dying than older people. The speaker begins the poem by describing a happy moment in the young person’s life. “The time you won your town the race / we chaired you through the market place;” (Line 1-2) When I read this first two sentences it was something I can relate because my team has won before and that feeling of joy that you get at the moment is worth all the obstacles. In stanza two‚ the speaker
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The poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” written by A.E. Housman is about dying at a premature age and fame. A young athlete wins a big race that makes him worshipped throughout the village. However‚ soon after he is being buried. The usage of symbolic language‚ imagery‚ complex literature‚ and rhyme generate this poem that conveys the themes of death and time perfectly. The images A.E. Housman portrayed in this poem are home‚ windows or doors‚ and flowers. Home is described twice in this poem but
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A.E. Housman wrote “To an Athlete Dying Young” in 1896. Housman was born Valley House in Fockbury‚ a hamlet on the outskirts of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire‚ in 1859. Housman grew up in an era where sports wasn’t really prevalent. However‚ Housman’s poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” pays homage to the memory of an athlete dying young. His interpretation seem to be that it’s a great thing for an athlete to die young. The death of an athlete who’s was in the prime of their career is always saddening
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analyzing is “Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike. Mr. Updike was born the 18th of March in 1932. He was an American novelist‚ poet‚ short story writer‚ art critic‚ and literary critic. He is one out of three authors who has won the Pulitzer Prize. He was well known for his craftsmanship‚ unique prose style‚ and prolificacy. Updike described his style as an attempt “ to give the mundane its beautiful due. His writing was influenced by frequently personal turmoil he experienced. In the poem “Ex-Basketball
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The poem that I analyzed is called “To An Athlete Dying Young”. The author of this poem is A.E. Housman. This poem is Non-Fiction. The purpose of this poem is to inform. The audience of this text is students (young adults). This poem is written in second person. The main idea of this poem is that your family will always support you. In this poem one of the metaphors is “And the name died before the man”. This metaphor means that he was once well known‚ but now people have forgotten who he is
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“Ex-Basketball Player‚” by John Updike is the poem that struck me this week. It is about a man who once had great potential but never followed through with it. Flick Webb is the focus of this poem; he was a basketball star in high school quite some time ago‚ but nowadays he merely pumps gas at a local station. The first stanza provides the readers with geographical information about the location of the gas station. “Pearl Avenue runs past the high school lot‚ bends with the trolley tracks‚
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