Final answer:
The speaker's attitude in A. E. Housman's poem is that dying young allows the athlete to escape the decline of old age, framing early death as an escape from the fading of youth and accomplishment. The correct answer is option (b).
Step-by-step explanation:
The speaker's attitude toward the athlete's death in A. E. Housman's poem, "To an Athlete Dying Young," can be discerned through a careful examination of the poem's themes and language. The correct interpretation among the provided options is (b) When a person dies young, they escape the experience of youth and vigor fading in old age. This reflects the poem's contemplation of the fleeting nature of glory and the potential advantages of dying young. The poem suggests that by dying at the peak of his abilities, the athlete escapes the pain of seeing his accomplishments outshone and his youthful vigor fade away.
The poem contrasts the transitory nature of athletic glory with the permanence of death, implying that the athlete's early death cements his achievements in a way that an extended life could not. Housman's work explores the bittersweet juxtaposition between the triumph of youthful success and the inevitable decline that comes with aging. The sentiment echoes across literature where death is framed not always as a loss but sometimes as an escape or as a preferable alternative to a life of decay and diminishing returns. This perspective mirrors the sentiments reflected by other literary works, where mortality is considered amidst life's grandeur or the promise of rest beyond this world.
Thus, Housman's poem embodies a complex understanding of mortality, recognizing the paradox of death as both a loss and a potential form of victory against the harsh realities of time and change.