A Shropshire Lad

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 two collections of poetry published in his lifetime revolve around the themes of beauty, youth, death, and patriotism. “The Lovliest of Trees” is a part of his earlier collection, A Shropshire Lad. Describing a blooming cherry tree, the speaker states that it is comparable to his fading youth. He recalls the past twenty years of his lifetime and presumes that he has fifty more to live. He wishes to appreciate nature’s beauty during the time he has left: “And since to look at things in…