1a. What does the crowd do when the boy wins the race?

2a. Why, according to the speaker, is the boy smart?

3a. Where is the athlete to set his "fleet foot" and hold up his trophy?

Analyze

4a. Compare and contrast the crowd's actions in the situations described in stanza 1 and stanza 2.

Evaluate

5a. Evaluate the speaker's attitudes toward pubic adoration and toward death.

Interpret

1b. How do you think this makes the boy feel?

2b. What has the boy given up? What does the speaker think he has gained?

3b. Why does the speaker refer to the "still-defended challenge-cup"?

Synthesize

4b. How might the crowd have reacted to the death of the athlete if he had lived to be an old man?

Extend

5b. How do you react when somebody (either famous or well-known to you) dies young?

Understanding Literature, page 848

Allusion. Why do you think Housman alludes to the Greek tradition of crowning victors with laurel?

Tone. What is the prevailing tone of the poem? Identify words and phrases that contribute to this tone.

Writer's Journal, page 849

1. If you were to gain fame, even for a short time, what would you like to be famous for? Write a brief personal essay on this subject.

2. Choose a local athlete and write a profile of him or her. You may choose to focus solely on the individual's athletic skills, or you may wish to include additional details about this person.

3. Write a eulogy for the funeral of the athlete in the poem. Consider the effect this person had on his community and what you know about his accomplishments. Fill in the gaps with your imagination.

Integrating the Language Arts, page 849

Study and Research

Newspaper Article. Choose an athlete that inspires or intrigues you. Do some research to answer these questions: When did this person first gain public attention? How fast did his or her career flourish from that point? What, if any, incidents caused the athlete to lose public favor? What was the pinnacle of the person's career? When did fame begin to fade? Why? You may also wish to explore other aspects of the athlete's life or career. Then write a series a short newspaper or magazine articles on this athlete.

Research Findings on an Athlete:

Sources Used:

Applied English & Collaborative Learning

Writing Press Releases.With your classmates, create a list of school events. Divide up the events by theme; for example; sports, performing and visual arts, class events, fundraisers, etc. Working in small groups, write a series of press releases about these events. Consider submitting these releases to local media to inform your community and encourage citizens' participation.