The document discusses a poem by A.E. Housman and provides context and analysis. It summarizes that the poem describes the poet playing football in the winter as a goalkeeper to relieve stress, and then taking up cricket in the summer as a batsman to try and feel happiness. While little mirth is needed to keep one alive, the poet tries playing sports as a way to experience some joy in life. The document provides meanings, paraphrases, and questions about the poems to aid understanding.

1. Good Morning
dears…

2. Can you identify these games?

3. Poem
Twice a Week The Winter
Thorough
- A.E. Housman

5. A.E. Housman
• Full name of poet is ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN.
• Life period: March 26,1859 – April 30, 1936.
• He was an English classical scholar and poet.
• He is best known for his collection of poems
“A Shropshire Lad”.
• His famous works : A Shropshire Las (1896)
Last Poems (1922)
More Poems (1936)
Complete poems ( 1936)

6. Twice a week the winter thorough
Here stood I to keep the goal:
Football then was fighting sorrow
For the young man's soul.

7. Meanings…..
• Twice a week – Two times a week.
• winter thorough- During the winter.
• Here stood I to keep the goal – The poet was the
goal keeper.
• Football then was fighting sorrow – football then
was a way of fighting all his sorrow, sadness,
depression.
• For the young man's soul – it was a common belief
in Britain of that time that sports were an important
part of education.

9. Paraphrase
• The poet had great love for football. During the
winter he went to play football with his friends. He
was mostly the goal keeper.
• He used to fight his stress and felt relived from
worries by playing football because most young
boys played football to de-stress their minds.

10. Questions
• What did the poet playing during the winter ?
• What was the poet’s role in the game ?
• What was the poet’s age when he played the
game ?

11. Answers
1. Football
2. Goal keeper
3. Young age

12. Now in Maytime to the wicket
Out I march with bat and pad:
See the son of grief at cricket
Trying to be glad.

13. Meanings….
• Maytime – during summer
• to the wicket – to play cricket
• Out I march – I go out
• with bat and pad – Cricket bat & knee pad
• son of grief – very sad young man

14. paraphrase
• Winter is gone and now it is summer. He
has started playing cricket. Here too,
although he appears to be active on the
pitch, the poet admits that he is only
trying to be happy.
• For him playing cricket is another way to
get rid of his growing stress.

15. Questions
• The poet’s game changed in may. What
game did he play in may ?
• What make the son of grief glad ?
• What is the role of poet in new game ?
How do we know that?

16. Answers
1. Cricket.
2. Playing cricket makes the son of grief glad.
3. Batsman. We can identify it through the use of bat
and knee pads.

17. Try I will; no harm in trying:
Wonder 'tis how little mirth
Keeps the bones of man from lying
On the bed of earth.

18. Meanings….
• Try I will – I will try
• no harm in trying – There is nothing worry in trying
• mirth – Amusement
• Wonder 'tis how little mirth Keeps the bones of man
from lying On the bed of earth – I wonder how a little bit
of happiness save man from dying.
• lying on the bed of earth – Lie buried.

19. paraphrase
• I don’t know cricket but I am learning it. There is no
harm in trying to learn a sports.
• In this life that offers sadness, the little happiness
we can get by playing cricket or football or anything
keep us alive.

20. Questions
• Who is the author of the poem ?
• What is the poet’s role in winter ?
• What is the poet’s role in summer ?

21. Now check your answers..
1. A.E. Housman
2. Goal Keeper in football.
3. Batsman in cricket.