We first reviewed the poetic techniques that are the subject of Unit 8 : extended metaphor, juxtaposition , allusion , and symbolism. After studying Housman's poem "To an Athlete Dying Young" we analyzed how these techniques create ambiguity in the speaker's perspective toward death. We noted the symbolism of "shade, the road, and laurels" as well as the ironic structure of the poem, ie. its meter and rhyme.