Death is a topic rarely discussed in society, however, in the poems ‘To an Athlete Dying Young’ and ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’, death is openly portrayed as the natural, inevitable conclusion to life. They depict how death should be accepted and in some instances commended. Though death is the main theme in both poems, it is reflected from different perspectives. In the poem ‘A Contemplation Upon Flowers’ by Henry King the comparison of the life of a simple flower is made to the life of a human, in the sense that we both are born, we both live, and we both must die. Majority of people fear death, because of their attraction to worldly possessions or because of the ignorance of what happens after death, but the flowers accept death with open arms and a smile. This poem praises flowers for not only their humble lifestyles but also for their acceptance of death as they obey their seasons. In ‘To an Athlete Dying Young’ by A.E Housman, the persona is recalling the fact that an athlete, who was a fellow townsman, won a race for their town. As a result, the athlete was cheered by the townspeople and brought home on their shoulders. The persona then takes the poem into the present by making the reader aware that the athlete is now dead. The third stanza reveals the persona's views on the death of the athlete. He believes that the athlete was smart to die. This is the case because he has left a world where glory is easily lost. Ultimately, in both poems, the speakers have come to a conclusion that death is not to be seen as negative. In ‘A Contemplation upon Flowers’ the speaker concludes that death is not to be feared or rejected but instead he wishes to emulate flowers in that they are brave and humble and they welcome death as it is inevitable, like taxes. In ‘To An Athlete Dying Young’,the speaker believes that the athlete is lucky because he will not be