Essay Questions

How did A. E. Housman's sexuality affect his work and public perception of his writing?

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, an age where societal norms and expectations were strict, A. E. Housman represented something breaking away from these norms. Housman was distinct from society around him in that he never ended up marrying and was assumed to be homosexual, an assumption that proved true. Although typically considered scholarly and emotionless, his sexuality led to his intimate revelation of himself and the type of person he was in his poems. This can be seen in Lost Poems, the volume where Housman reveals his homosexuality and how he was treated in a world that didn't accept him for who he was. This leads him to create an emotional and striking piece of poetry where he writes about the love he had for a man in his life. Moses Jackson was Housman's love but Jackson never reciprocated the feelings and once he found out about Housman's homosexuality, pushed Housman away. This rejection by a former close friend and a person he admired was a shattering moment for Housman, leading to his tragic poems as well as personal introspection. Public perception of his writing was also affected by his homosexuality. Due to the fact that most of society considered his sexuality disgusting and repulsive, it led to critics often ignoring his poems altogether. He had to rely on meager public audiences to bring his collections of poems into the limelight of the public eye. Eventually, despite his sexuality, A. E. Housman was able to gain success and his poems became more and more well-read.

How did Housman use fictitious element to distinguish Shropshire Lads?

A. E. Housman marks Shropshire Lads as a poem distinct from the other poems he has written in numerous ways. For one, he focuses on the land rather than the people themselves. Although he does mentions the men and boys of the town who went off to fight for their country and queen, these characters are never explicitly depicted. What is shown is the countryside that they live in, Shropshire. Additionally, Housman uses fictitious elements to make this setting more fantastical and dreamy than tangible. It casts an air of uncertainty upon the location of the poem and brings much more excitement to the reader. Shropshire is an ideal utopia, a blessing of nature. Housman draws upon the ancient fantasies and literatures of the Greek and Roman world to create his setting. His relentless studying of the topic to create this dream-state is another way Housman is able to seriously distinguish Shropshire Lads. To add to the topic at hand, Housman's use of previous fictitious elements demonstrates much about his personal nature. The audience and reader is able to see the scholar within him come out. The scholar who pored over numerous texts to perfectly craft this poem. We realize that A. E. Housman was not lazy in his poetic endeavors and labored to create a distinct piece of writing.