Mans Failure Icarus Essay
Haley Tassin
Mrs. Helminger
English II Pre- AP
5 November 2014
Mans’ Failure
1. Mans’ failure can be found anywhere and in life it is nature to fail. 2. Man’s failure can be a common theme in multiple writings. 3. The myth, poem, and painting all show mans’ failure through characters. 4. All three writings show how mans’ failure is human nature.
1. The fact that Icarus dies in the end shows the readers that mans’ failure is an emphasized theme in Ovid’s Metamorphoses: ”Daedalus and Icarus”. 2. On line 316 Moore writes, “My son, I caution you to keep the middle way.” Daedalus, Icarus’ father, failed to emphasize how important his warning was which caused Icarus to die. 3. As the story continues Moore writes, “He waved his naked arms instead of wings/ with no more feathers to sustain his flight.” 4. Icarus failed to follow his father’s advice which led him to plunge into the ocean due to his wings melting from the sun. 5. The story ends saying “to bury the unfortunate remains.”(Moore 368) 5. Both of the characters show mans’ failure on this line because Daedalus failed to be a responsible parent and Icarus’ irresponsible actions caused his wings to fail leading him to his death. 7. Given that Icarus and Daedalus both failed in the myth, we can see how is piece of writing relates to mans’ failure.
1. Without using words, the artist of the painting was able to give the readers a visual of man’s failure. 2. In the painting, the farmers continued to do their own jobs without realizing Icarus drowning. 3. Just like in the poem, the farmers were being self-centered, and they could have helped Icarus. 4. But it is natural for humans to only focus on what pertains to them. 5. The ships failed to stop and help Icarus. 6. They sailed right past the tragedy so they could get where they had to be. 7. Like in the myth, Icarus failed to listen to his father, therefore he died. 8. The painting can be related to the myth and poem because it is giving an actual image of mans’
Mrs. Helminger
English II Pre- AP
5 November 2014
Mans’ Failure
1. Mans’ failure can be found anywhere and in life it is nature to fail. 2. Man’s failure can be a common theme in multiple writings. 3. The myth, poem, and painting all show mans’ failure through characters. 4. All three writings show how mans’ failure is human nature.
1. The fact that Icarus dies in the end shows the readers that mans’ failure is an emphasized theme in Ovid’s Metamorphoses: ”Daedalus and Icarus”. 2. On line 316 Moore writes, “My son, I caution you to keep the middle way.” Daedalus, Icarus’ father, failed to emphasize how important his warning was which caused Icarus to die. 3. As the story continues Moore writes, “He waved his naked arms instead of wings/ with no more feathers to sustain his flight.” 4. Icarus failed to follow his father’s advice which led him to plunge into the ocean due to his wings melting from the sun. 5. The story ends saying “to bury the unfortunate remains.”(Moore 368) 5. Both of the characters show mans’ failure on this line because Daedalus failed to be a responsible parent and Icarus’ irresponsible actions caused his wings to fail leading him to his death. 7. Given that Icarus and Daedalus both failed in the myth, we can see how is piece of writing relates to mans’ failure.
1. Without using words, the artist of the painting was able to give the readers a visual of man’s failure. 2. In the painting, the farmers continued to do their own jobs without realizing Icarus drowning. 3. Just like in the poem, the farmers were being self-centered, and they could have helped Icarus. 4. But it is natural for humans to only focus on what pertains to them. 5. The ships failed to stop and help Icarus. 6. They sailed right past the tragedy so they could get where they had to be. 7. Like in the myth, Icarus failed to listen to his father, therefore he died. 8. The painting can be related to the myth and poem because it is giving an actual image of mans’
Cited: Auden, W.H. “Muse Des Beaux Arts.” english.emory.edu/classes/paintingspoems/auden.html. Web. 29. Oct. 2014. http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/auden.html Brueghel, Pieter. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. C. 1558. Muse Des Beaux Arts De Beigine, Brussels. Archive.com. Web. 29. Oct. 2014 Moore, Trenchant, Jr. “Daedalus and Icarus.” Ovid’s Metamorphosis. Vol II. 1941. Print