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Casey At The Bat By Earnest Lawrence Thayer

904 Words4 Pages

Have you ever been so confident that you were aloof to a task, but ended up unprepared and fell short, letting people down? The poem “Casey at the Bat” by Earnest Lawrence Thayer, excellently describes and provides an accurate and relatable rendition of a nail-biting ending of the last plays in a baseball game. The poem shows an impossible situation in which the Mudville 9 are down 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs with a player on second and third, with the most cherished player, Casey Jones, up to bat to attempt to win the game. The poem shows a remarkable depth with the fans, environment, and even Casey himself. Moreover, I love how the story shows the relationship between the devoted fans and Casey, with the fans showing hope, …show more content…

The theme could be happy and lighthearted or complex heavy and deep feelings that can place blame on certain people, places, or things. “Casey at the bat” by Earnest Lawrence Thayer, has an overarching theme that pride can bring you great acclaim and cheers, but it can ultimately be your downfall. The quote “‘That ain’t my style,’ said Casey. ‘Strike one,’ the umpire said.” Thayer is trying to hint at, Casey's pride and arrogance in not swinging the bat for the first pitch. The quote shows that he shows no interest and that he can do what he wants, which shows disrespect for the opposing team, the fans, his team, and the game of baseball. In the quote “But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out”, Casey strikes out in front of all of the Mudville 9 fans. Consequently, the arrogance and cocky attitude finally bit Casey in the butt, and now he has to suffer the consequence (Thayer). If you are a Mudville 9 fan, you must have such high hopes for Casey. When he strikes out, you can see the complex themes of having the devoted fans cheer for Casey and the devoted fans, despise Casey's arrogance and nonchalant way of dealing with the game, it becomes harder for the fans to forgive him, showing more depth in the …show more content…

The poem starts with how the ballpark surrounding is sad with the Mudville 9 losing and in despair. However, as the story continues, excitement builds when Casey walks up to the bat. In the quote “Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt” the excitement is created by Thayer using the fans building up to the climax. With this image, you can tell that the baseball stands are loud and full of thousands of people. Thayer also has a creative way of describing objects in the field, like in the quote “And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air”.This is an example of astonishing imagery where the detail overflows the imagination. You feel immersed as you read the poem. The imagery portrayed in this poem adds a depth that you wouldn't be able to feel if you didn't get the provided

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