In Giovanni’s poem is a massive metaphor. She uses a tree to represent Kennedy; he was a strong individual with a goal and purpose. He was working till fall much like trees do to reap the rewards of his hard work and determination, but was unable as his life was cut short unable to blossom much like a tree cut in the summer.
In Housman’s poem the meaning is very similar from that of Giovanni. The poem is a tribute to an athlete dying young and his career and life withering away as a rose. He is dying at the pinnacle of his career achieving things his town never would’ve thought, however he is losing himself in it and perishes before he can unlock and use his true potential.
Promises left unfulfilled are a travesty. Giovanni’s poem A Poem on the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and Housman’s To an Athlete Dying young are poems of men at their pinnacle and losing their lives before they can live to their true potential. These poems used imagery and diction to elaborate these stories through metaphors and phrases to deepen the meaning of their