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A Shropshire Lad

A. E. Housman

Book Overview: 

A Shropshire Lad is a cycle of sixty-three poems by the English poet Alfred Edward Housman. A Shropshire Lad was first published at Housman’s own expense after several publishers had turned it down. At first the book sold slowly, but Housman’s nostalgic depiction of rural life and young men’s early deaths struck a chord with English readers and the book became a bestseller.(Summary from Wikipedia)

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Book Excerpt: 
. . .What use to rise and rise? Rise man a thousand mornings Yet down at last he lies, And then the man is wise." I heard the tune he sang me, And spied his yellow bill; I picked a stone and aimed it And threw it with a will: Then the bird was still. Then my soul within me Took up the blackbird's strain, And still beside the horses Along the dewy lane It Sang the song again: "Lie down, lie down, young yeoman; The sun moves always west; The road one treads to labour Will lead one home to rest, And that will be the best." VIII "Farewell to barn and stack and tree, Farewell to Severn shore. Terence, look your last at me, For I come home no more. "The sun burns on the half-mown hill, By now the bl. . . Read More

Community Reviews

The much-anthologized lyrics everyone remembers from this slim volume are memorable for their delicate music and Attic restraint, but many of the sixty-three poems contained herein are pretty forgettable; reiterating the familiar themes of youthful beauty and early death without deepening or enrichi

I think I never want to see
Another stanza by A.E.
I pity now the friends of Terence,
And eke his siblings, pets and parents.

For oh, good Lord the verse he made--
Too grim and too much in the shade:
The doomstruck lad, the Severn missed,
The Ludlow fair where he got pissed,

The London blues, the snow-hung

I enjoyed this much more on a reread – the language is lyrical in a great way and the rhythm is lovely. An interesting exploration of growing up, death and rural life, if a little sentimental at times.

Read this long ago - but I am not sure if it was just selected poems. The Dover issue was wonderful and I will read it again; the poems are simple and true - beautiful and haunting. In my opinion the transitory nature of existence has never been more poetically rendered - highest recommendation.

I'm glad I finally read it. Thank you to M.E. Kerr (THE SON OF SOMEONE FAMOUS) and Blossom Elfman (A HOUSE FOR JONNIE O.) for the consciousness-raising (mentioning this in their books).

The one little part that stood out to me,

"The tree of man was never quiet:
Then 'twas the Roman, now 'tis I."

This was a neat read. Thanks!

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