Literary Journal: Imagery

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Imagery

The use of descriptive language to evoke an image in a person’s mind, usually through visualization, hearing, sensory, tasting, or smelling.

“The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the marketplace;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.”
(from “To an Athlete Dying Young by A. E. Housman)

The visual imagery and repetition of the athlete being carried “shoulder-high” heightens the juxtaposition of his highest point in his or her life, after he or she won the race, and his or her lowest point in his or her life, when he or she died. This allows Housman to show how easy it is to go from hero to zero, from being famous to being nothing. Because the athlete is in the same position both times, it can be suggested that the athlete’s death somehow was a result of his or her fame. The athlete’s early death is also symbolic of society; even with all technological improvements of the nineteenth century, or training, all those can wiped away by a single cata-strophic event such as World War I, or in the athlete’s case, his or her death. The euphemism and nonchalant tone of “a stiller town” is emblematic of the times. Death was all too common in this era, as imperialism and war had led to belief that war and subjugation was not necessarily malicious. In addition, Housman’s overall casual tone shows his existentialism and cynicism. While depicting the athlete as outgoing and hard working, Housman combats this optimistic happiness by immediately saying how he or she died, leaving one to doubt whether it was even worth becoming an athlete. “Runners” is also repeated and used as an example of visual imagery. However, they also have a metaphoric meaning. “Runners,” or people who move fast, speed through the world and don’t take the time to enjoy it. The athlete was a runner and so was not able to enjoy the world in his or her short time.