Poems on the Icarus Theme - Book Report/Review Example

Different people can perceive one thing in numerous ways. Everyone has his or her own outlook of this world. Works of art can specially be viewed diversely. Many poets have written about the famous painting "Fall of Icarus". All have different views. Three poems in particular have been selected, Musee des Beaux (poem1), Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (poem 2) and Brueghel in Naples (poem 3). Even though they are all writing about the same painting all poems have the same ambiance, but their length and the point of view from which they are written are entirely different. A thorough assessment will illustrate how different an object can appear to separate individuals. The most important feature of a piece of writing is the feel it gives to the reader. Basically ambience is created through words in a poem. They can make the piece of writing dull or exciting. Notice that poem 1gives off an ordinary feeling as though it is about something routine. The wordings, "About suffering they were never wronghow it takes place while someone else is eating or opening a window" (Auden). Even though Auden is talking about tragedies in life, but his take is that everything is regular and after all is said and done life does go on. Catastrophes are a part of life and everyone has accepted that. Another example is, "opening a window or just walking dully along; How when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting for the miraculous birth" (Auden). Auden is describing the miracle of birth as though it is something ordinary. This technique is used o show that even though something so astounding is occurring life continues its routine. Observe poem 2, "According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring a farmer was ploughing" (Williams). He is carrying the same style as Auden. Notice that he is describing a misfortune, yet the tone of his writing is stress-free and calm. The emotion it presents is of extreme ordinariness. "the edge of the sea concerned with itself" Just another example of how even the sea is not bothered. All life around Icarus is happening, as it should be. The only calamity is with Icarus, falling out of the sky. Yet no one is concerned with that. Poem 1 and poem 2 are both written in a way that they provide a feeling of tranquility. Now take a look at poem 3. Note the words, "Will I drown My white legs the last to disappear (I have no trousers on) A little to the left the ploughman" (Abse). The poet is describing how he (the character Icarus) is falling through the sky and is about to drown in the sea, but take a look at his tone. Immediately after describing his fall, he goes on to discuss the mundane events going on around him. As if falling through the sky is not a major concern. There is almost a tone of mockery in this poem. "I drown bubble by bubble, (Help! Save me!) while he stands ruthlessly before the canvas, busy, busy, intent on becoming an Old Master."(Abse) Again he talks about how he is drowning but he isn't noticed by anyone except an artist. The funny part is that the artist is not concerned about making his painting perfect. Yet another example of how the life is going on with its routine while Icarus is drowning. Throughout all three poems this is one thing that is common, the entire theme for all poems is relaxed. It almost seems like that the tragedy occurring is normal and it will not have any effect on any other day-to-day tasks. Everything is taken very lightly. Even though this common, but there differences as well for example the length of the poems. The length is referring to the literal size of the poems and the details with which the poets describe everything. Let's take a look at poem 1, "in a corner, some untidy spot where the dogs go on with their doggy life"(Auden). This is the only poem this particular detail is portrayed. Even though the physical length of this poem is a bit long it is written with great detail. Poem 1 goes on to illustrate various minute details. For example, "and the torturer's horse scratches its innocent behind on a tree." (Auden). Even this quote goes on to show that to Auden even a horse scratching behind I a corner somewhere is important enough to add in the poem. He considers every slight aspect in the picture to be vital. Poem 2 is much shorter in physical length. This poem only goes on to describe the upfront details of the painting. The poet does not go into great detail. "the sun melted the wings' wax unsignificantly off the coast there was a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning"(Williams). It is apparent that the lyricist is purely explaining the proceedings of the painting in a simple style. He doesn't believe that detail or length will aid the depiction in any way. Even in the beginning he says, "According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring"(Williams). Once again he simply goes on to describe the painting. Brueghel has shown spring in the painting, he simply describes the season in the painting. He is not at all concerned with the details. In poem 3 great attentions is given to detail. "There's a mountain down there on fire and I'm falling, falling away from it"(Abse). Icarus is falling upside down, but he is describing the sun that looks like a mountain on fire. Abse wants to paint the complete picture with his poem. Another example of his detail is, "and now I hear a shepherd's dog barking. I am that near"(Abse). Icarus is so close to the ground that he can hear a dog barking. Again he is falling, but he doesn't fail to describe the dog's barking. Poem 3 is written in great detail and with careful attention to each feature in the painting. Notice that all three poems are the same painting and are describing the same event, the falling of Icarus. However all have different lengths and poem1 and 2 pay great attention to detail, while poem 3 plainly portrays the event with little attention to detail. Due to this the length of poem 3 is much shorter than the other two. The other important detail, which should be noted, is the point of view with which the poems are written. Point of view with which a work is written makes a lot of difference. If something is written is first person point of view, it will have feelings as well as fears. A piece written through second point of view will have what the on looker is feeling not the direct feeling of the feeling. Take a look at poem 1 it is written in third person, "how well, they understood"(Auden). Auden is talking about the elders understood the humans and their nature. But notice that Auden is talking about the elders; the elders are not describing themselves. Another example in poem 1 is, "But for him it was not an important failure"(Auden). Again Auden is describing that to Icarus falling out of the sky was not a big event. Notice that Icarus is not describing this himself. The poet is describing this for him. This is the clear usage of third person. Lets take a look at poem 2, "farmer was ploughing his field"(Williams). Notice that Williams is also using third person point of view. Again we are hearing the story from the poet not from the character. Another example is, "this was Icarus drowning"(Williams). This is the biggest incident in the poem but the due to the third person point of view we hear the perspective of the writer, not the poet. Due to the usage of third person point of view, we don't get any feelings of what Icarus might have been feeling while falling. All we hear is what it seemed like. Now lets take a look at poem 3, "Great Bacchus, the sea is rearing up. Will I drown"(Abse). This is something different, Abse is using first person point of view. He is describing the event from Icarus' point of view. We see that Icarus is upside down while falling so he thinks that the sea is rearing up. While in reality the he is getting closer to the sea. He is anxious and is scared as to what will happen to him. He wonders will he drown Another example is, "Phew the sun is on the horizon or am I upside down"(Abse). Only due to the first person point of view we are able to hear the thoughts of Icarus. While falling he sees the sun and than realizes that he is actually upside down and he is falling. This build anxiety and fear of falling. It changes the mood of the poem from mundane to exciting. While the first two are a bit dull. The ambience, attention to detail and the point of view from which the poem is written, all blend in together and make the poem complete. These details give the poem characteristics. Whether it is exciting or dull. This just shows how different people can perceive one thing in numerous ways. All three poets are talking about the same painting. But all three have different perspectives. All three poets believe different details to be important. Some people will feel this painting to be a comical painting because even though Icarus is falling other things are happening around him. While others will consider the same painting to be a great tragedy, a death is occurring. Everyone has his or her own outlook of this world. Bibliography 1. http://www.lemon8.com 2003 Lemon8 design & development. September 10, 2007 [http://poetrypages.lemon8.nl/life/musee/museebeauxarts.htm] 2. http://www.wordsworth2.net 03/10/99 VCCS Litonline. September 10, 2007 [http://wordsworth2.net/resource/icarus/icaruspoems.htm] 3. http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au 05/10/2004 Tasmanian Government information. September 10, 2007 [http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/hugopaul.htm] Read More