In the poem "Ex-Basketball Player" the author John Updike asserts the theme that some people spend their entire lives remembering the past instead of focusing on their present future. The character in the poem‚ a man named Flick Webb use to be a very good basketball player in high school. He seems to be caught up in what he was and not what he is now. His life is just passing by him because he is stuck in the past and not focused on what he is doing in his life now. He floats around on his job and
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Beowulf concretely establishes the traditional hero/villain roles only to have Grendel pulverize this concept proving that just as Grendel the character cannot exist without Beowulf the character‚ Grendel the novel cannot exist without Beowulf the poem. Gardner utilizes alliteration‚ demonic kennings‚ negative diction‚ pathos‚ first point of view‚ pleading repetition‚ innocent tone‚ and beastlike imagery to manipulate the villain role and create compassion for Grendel. Through the use of pathos
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of “To an Athlete Dying Young” In his poem “To an Athlete Dying Young”‚ A.E. Housman makes a quite different approach on death. People have different perspectives on death‚ but more often than not‚ it is viewed as an undesirable event that people wish to avoid. The speaker in the poem‚ however‚ praises a young and famous athlete for dying before he became old and forgotten. This can be interpreted two very different ways. One can assume Housman believes that the only way for athletes to capture
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diminish quickly over time. In “To an Athlete Dying Young‚” the author proves the idea of the nonexistence of everlasting fame. Throughout the poem‚ the notion that fame follows a cycle is present‚ and the author furnishes the reader with a scenario that shows true emotion in the succession of fame. It begins with an athlete winning it all‚ bringing achievement‚ pride‚ and gratification to oneself and his or her town. The crowd is cheering‚ raising the athlete above all. The author has a positive
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“To an Athlete Dying Young” by A. E. Houseman is about death and how young people have it easier dying than older people. The speaker begins the poem by describing a happy moment in the young person’s life. “The time you won your town the race / we chaired you through the market place;” (Line 1-2) When I read this first two sentences it was something I can relate because my team has won before and that feeling of joy that you get at the moment is worth all the obstacles. In stanza two‚ the speaker
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analyzing is “Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike. Mr. Updike was born the 18th of March in 1932. He was an American novelist‚ poet‚ short story writer‚ art critic‚ and literary critic. He is one out of three authors who has won the Pulitzer Prize. He was well known for his craftsmanship‚ unique prose style‚ and prolificacy. Updike described his style as an attempt “ to give the mundane its beautiful due. His writing was influenced by frequently personal turmoil he experienced. In the poem “Ex-Basketball
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The poem that I analyzed is called “To An Athlete Dying Young”. The author of this poem is A.E. Housman. This poem is Non-Fiction. The purpose of this poem is to inform. The audience of this text is students (young adults). This poem is written in second person. The main idea of this poem is that your family will always support you. In this poem one of the metaphors is “And the name died before the man”. This metaphor means that he was once well known‚ but now people have forgotten who he is
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“Ex-Basketball Player‚” by John Updike is the poem that struck me this week. It is about a man who once had great potential but never followed through with it. Flick Webb is the focus of this poem; he was a basketball star in high school quite some time ago‚ but nowadays he merely pumps gas at a local station. The first stanza provides the readers with geographical information about the location of the gas station. “Pearl Avenue runs past the high school lot‚ bends with the trolley tracks‚
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After looking at the title of the poem “Ex-Basketball Player‚” I assume it is about a former basketball player and his life now. After I read the poem‚ I find out that John Updike‚ the author‚ starts the first paragraph by describing a town. He tells about the trolley tracks and some of the stores‚ including a plaza and a garage. Then‚ the author goes on to introduce a character in the poem‚ Flick Webb‚ who helps in the garage in town. In the second paragraph‚ the author explains that Webb used to
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July 19‚ 2014 Although “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman and “Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike are both about the reflection of honorary greatness achieved in their lives as athletes‚ the speakers possess different views and attitudes towards their characters in each poem. In “To an Athlete Dying Young” the speaker shares a positive reflection of the characters accomplishments that takes place due to the death of that character dying at a young age: “To-day‚ the road all runners
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