What does Smart lad to slip betimes away mean?

What does Smart lad to slip betimes away mean?

The stanza begins with the speaker praising the athlete for bowing out early, calling him a “smart lad” for slipping away sooner rather than later. The speaker tries to look on the bright side of the athlete’s early demise by considering the fact that, “glory does not stay.” The athlete would not have won every race.

What does a stiller town meaning?

Death. To be “townsman of a stiller town” (line 8) means to. be dead, lying in the graveyard.

What does echoes fade mean?

In the poem’s second-to-last stanza, the athlete’s coffin has reached the gravesite. The speaker tells the funeral procession (and us readers) to place the athlete in the tomb before the “echoes” of applause fade away and to hold up once more his victory trophy in celebration of the athlete’s life.

What does after Earth has stopped the ears mean?

After earth has stopped the ears. The author uses personification in both lines 1 and 4 to show the reader that the athlete will not have to watch someone break his record or hear people boo him because he will already be dead.

Why does the speaker consider the athlete a smart lad?

The speaker appears to praise the man for dying young (“Smart lad, to slip betimes away”). He will always be the popular athlete he was when he died. That’s why he will retain the “still-defended challenge-cup”—because he’ll never race again, no one will ever know if he could have been outrun.

What is the meaning of the phrase Laurelled head?

This line refers to the fact that when an athlete outlives his record, he is no longer placed on a pedestal and adored. This implies that the athlete will remain victorious in death. 12.’ early laurelled head’ This line means that the athlete was victorious in his youth.

What does early Laurelled mean?

The persona believes that the athlete is smart to die before his record was shattered by some-one else. This implies that the athlete will remain victorious in death. 12.’ early laurelled head’ This line means that the athlete was victorious in his youth.

What Is a stiller town in stanza two?

Instead of carrying him to his house, they are carrying him to his final “home,” his final resting place—the graveyard. The athlete becomes a resident of a new, “stiller town,” the town we all end up becoming residents of: dead-ville.

What is the double meaning of Stiller in stiller town?

For example, ‘Today, the road all runners come’. The road is the metaphor of a cemetery. The second example is, ‘Townsman of a stiller town’, stiller town represents the calmness of cemetery. “Laurel” is the symbol of victory, “Home” is the symbol of grave and “stiller town” is the symbol of the graveyard.

Who will flock around the grave of the athlete?

By A.E. The garland briefer than a girl’s. Now that the athlete has entered the land of the dead, the residents of this “stiller town” (remember line 8?) will “flock” around him to look at his laurel victory crown.

Why does the Laurel wither quicker than the rose?

The laurel is the plant and it blossoms “early” and the flower “withers quicker than the rose.” These plants also function symbolically: laurel represents victory, and roses represented respect for the dead in ancient times. The glory of victory (laurel) withers faster than respect for the dead (the rose).

Will flock to gaze the Strengthless dead?

In the final stanza, Housman implies that the dead will find in the hero the admirable qualities that the living celebrated: “And round that early-laureled head / Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead….” Perhaps, Housman tries to tell us, glory is greater than the grave, and that the point of existence is to …