The classical influences in Alfred Edward Housman’s poetry : a reading in selected short poems

Abstract EN

Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936) is one of the greatest English literary figures.

He is a poet, a professor, and a critic at the same time.

He reflects a profound interest in the classical philosophers and writers.

So he reads for the Greeks, the Romans, Latin and even the early English poets, who are source to develop his views and realizations about poets and significant poetry.

The matter that leads his poetry to be simple at the first look, but it underlies tremendous thoughts and important meanings to the learned reader.

This paper will deal with a group of poems that are taken from Housman’s A Shropshire Lad .

It is a small volume of poetry that that reflects Housman uses Roman numerals as titles for most Housman’s creative artifice.

of his poems.

“LIV”, “XII” , “ LXII”, “Astronomy” , “V” will be discussed through this paper to shed light on various themes and aspects related to the poet’s classical obsession.