What are some examples of tone in the poem To An Athlete Dying Young?

In the poem "To An Athlete Dying Young," A. E. Housman expresses various tones, reflecting the mixed emotions of grief, admiration, and contemplation surrounding the death of a young athlete. Here are some examples of tone in the poem:

1. Melancholy:

- "I wish that I were dead"

- "Now you will never come again"

- "In the red evening light"

2. Admiration:

- "O young runner in the grove, of effortless might and

mightiness"

- "The time you won your town the race"

- "Your early leaf a flower"

3. Poignancy:

- "There is no track, no running feet"

- "Only the hunted shadow of a flying ball"

- "The chill, the silence, and the emptiness"

4. Contemplation:

- "Was there one watcher, when you ran with the rest?"

- "And is there any runner to break the record run by

you last week?"

- "The track will soon be grass again"

5. Elegy:

- "But you with younger feet will wear them out before I do"

- "So here below lies buried deep

A child of Honour and Delight"

6. Serenity:

- "The record of a blessed deed/ That, kindled by thee,

goes on"

- "Now you will never come again, but we will keep your

name"

- "The best is yet to be"

Overall, the tone of "To An Athlete Dying Young" shifts between sadness, admiration, remembrance, and acceptance, capturing the complex emotions surrounding the loss of a talented young life.