A.E. Housman And The Poetry Of The Glum

A.E. Housman (1859-1936) perfected the art of the glum. In this compact poem, he actually lifted his head above the darkness for a moment (while never forgetting it was right over his shoulder). He also pulled off some interesting tricks with the meter of the poem. It goes bang! with this fantastic rhythm. Other than this, I've read little Housman, aside from the obligatory poems in college poetry classes. This one is sweet. I'm a sucker for the well-wrought short form.



The thoughts of others were light and fleeting,
of lovers meeting, of luck or fame.
Mine were of trouble, and mine were steady
so I was ready when trouble came.

- AE Housman, 1859-1936
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