A. E. Housman

A.E. Housman, born Alfred Edward Housman, in March 1859,  is best known for his simple style, memorable and moving images that made his work popular during his lifetime. His collection A Shropshire Lad, a cycle of 63 poems, is his most widely read. It has sustained his reputation since his death in 1936 and includes poems like ‘Oh Who Is That Young Sinner,’ ‘1887,’ and ‘To an Athlete Dying Young.’ Housman is also remembered for his career as a classical scholar and his role as a professor of Latin at Cambridge University. His final collection was published in 1922, titled Last Poems.

Because I Liked You Better

‘Because I Liked You Better’ by A. E. Housman is a love poem that taps on the theme of unrequited love. Like his “A Shropshire Lad” poems, it also touches on the theme of death.

Bredon Hill

‘Bredon Hill’ by A.E. Housman depicts an initially heartwarming and later heartbreaking story of a couple torn apart when one of them dies suddenly on a cold Christmas night. 

Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree

‘Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree’ by A. E. Housman describes a traumatizing story of two brothers and how one of them accidentally met his end in a wheat field at the hand of the other.

Here dead lie we because we did not choose

‘Here dead lie we because we did not choose’ by A.E. Housman is a powerful, short poem about World War I. It utilizes a speaker, or group of speakers, who have passed away. 

Here dead lie we because we did not choose Visual Representation

Loveliest of Trees

‘Loveliest of Trees’ by A.E. Housman is a joyful nature poem in which the speaker describes how powerful the image of cherry blossom trees is in his life. He takes a great deal of pleasure from looking at them.

Oh Who is that Young Sinner

‘Oh Who is that Young Sinner’ by A.E. Houseman is an important poem that addresses the fear and hatred of homosexuality in England in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Terence, This is Stupid Stuff

‘Terence, This is Stupid Stuff’ by A. E. Housman addresses a speaker’s poetry, how he feels about another’s opinion, and alludes to critiques of Housman’s own literary works.

They Say My Verse is Sad

‘They Say My Verse is Sad’ by A.E. Housman is a direct, two stanza poem. In it, Housman describes why he writes poetry and who he writes for. 

They Say My Verse is Sad by A.E. Housman Visual Representation

To an Athlete Dying Young

‘To an Athlete Dying Young’ by A. E. Housman describes the death of a youthful man who is celebrated for his glorious passing and remembered for his loss, rather than his athletic achievements.

When green buds hang in the elm

A. E. Housman’s poem ‘When green buds hang in the elm’ is about a speaker’s attachment to nature and how it reminds him of his own mortality. It appears in the poetry collection Last Poems (1922).

When green buds hang in the elm by A. E. Housman Visual Representation

When I Was One-and-Twenty

‘When I Was One-and-Twenty’ by A. E. Housman is a relatable poem that explores how easy it is to make mistakes in one’s love life, even when one knows exactly what they should do.

With rue my heart is laden

‘With rue my heart is laden’ by A.E. Housman is a short and simple poem in which a speaker looks back on what they’ve lost from their youth.

With rue my heart is laden by A.E. Housman Visual Representation

XII: An Epitaph

In Housman’s ‘XII: An Epitaph,’ readers will hear from a speaker who knows he’s about to die and is happy to accept his fate. 

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