A Shropshire Lad was first published, at Housman's own expense, in 1896 after several publishers had turned it down. At first the book sold slowly, but during the Second Boer War, Housman's nostalgic depiction of rural life, the book became a bestseller The main theme of ""A Shropshire Lad"" is mortality, and advice about how we live our lives since death can come in anytime.