A Shropshire Lad
/ə ˌʃrɒpʃə ˈlæd/
/ə ˌʃrɑːpʃər ˈlæd/
- a collection of poems (1896) by A E Housman. The poems are short and easy to read. They express love for the people and countryside of Housman's home in Shropshire, and sadness to be away from that home and for lost youth. They became especially popular during the First World War, and are still widely read. Several English composers have set the poems to music.“Loveliest of trees, the cherry nowIs hung with bloom along the bough,And stands about the woodland rideWearing white for Eastertide.”