Here Dead We Lie

Poet A.E. Housman is believed to be an influential writer in the art of poetry. He is famously known for his book of poems called, “A Shropshire Lad.” The poems he wrote appealed to the late Victorian taste and to many early 20th Century writers. Housman was one of the most classicists of his age and has been ranked as one of the greatest scholars who has ever lived.
One of Housman’s most famous poems is, Here Dead We Lie. This poem can relate to anyone who has lost a family member in a war. The poem however, was not included in either of the two books written by Housman. In this poem, young soldiers is dying in World War I. These men feel they have been cheated out of their lives because they were drafted into the war. However, they died for their country because, in their minds, …show more content…
This is due to the fact that the young generation of soldiers have been taught that if they do not fight for their country, their lives will not be just. In the other view, the older generation believes life is unimportant and worthless. This poem is in both views of the young and old generations. The older generation of soldiers are in the mindset that their lives are unimportant and worthless because they have already fought in the war. They believe that the young generation of soldiers views them as unnecessary because they are no longer fit to fight in the current war going on, World War I. While the younger generation is viewed as honorable because of their current service. Although, the young men fighting are being viewed as honorable, they are viewing the war and their service as a waste of their lives. “Life to be sure, is nothing much to lose,” is an example of the tone of depression that goes throughout the poem. The effect of it in the poem is sadness because it almost makes the reader feel sorry for