A.E. Housman 1859 - 1936

His Life Housman was born in England, the eldest of seven children His mother died on his 12th birthday He was raised during the American Civil War and the English Boer War; he also saw World War I Housman was shy and quiet

He was a brilliant student, attending Oxford University Unfortunately, Housman did not complete part of his coursework, and was forced to leave Oxford in disgrace Housman did not enjoy traditional study methods, so he did not fail because of lack of skill; he was very embarrassed by the situation

Housman worked as a clerk, studying Latin and publishing work on his own; he translated and wrote from Greek and Latin poetry Soon, his reputation as a Latin scholar earned him the position as a professor of Latin at Cambridge, where he taught until he died A Shropshire Lad included 63 poems and introduced the public to Housman’s personal poetry and deep emotions

Housman died at age 77, and his ashes are buried in Shropshire Known as a classical scholar during his lifetime, Housman is best known today for his poetry Housman loved fine things, including good food; he loved to travel in airplanes Housman died at age 77, and his ashes are buried in Shropshire Housman's grave at St Laurence's Church in Ludlow.

His Work Housman’s work is known for its melancholy and somber tone Many believe this was due to his mother’s death and the death he witnessed during the wars His most frequently used themes are death, the passing of youth, and the “idealization of military life”