Edward Field Icarus

The poem Icarus by Edward Field weaves a story about what if Icarus survived the fall, and what his life would be. Usually, most stories of Icarus and Daedalus ends with Icarus’s tragic fall into the ocean, but not this poem. In this poem, Edward Field starts after Icarus’s fall and his life after. The poem “Icarus” the opposite of most stories and cleverly crafted by Edward Field uses three literary devices setting, characterization, and imagery. Edward Field cleverly uses the setting to adapt to the story of this poem. Icarus moved to a city “Where he rented a house and tended the garden,” (9) which proves that Icarus’s lives in the modern-day house in the suburbs. Icarus also travels around like a normal modern-day civilian “But now rides commuter trains, Serves on various committees.” (28 and 29) This proves that Icarus is now a
Hicks the neighbors called him.” (10) This shows that the people who live next door to Icarus are kind unlike in Ancient Greek times when manners did not matter. Icarus’s neighbors are also very modernized and are more logical “And had he told them They would have answered with a shocked, uncomprehending stare.” (14 and 15) Which proves that his neighbors were from modern day, and do not believe in human flight unlike in Icarus’s time. The characterization Edward Field uses is another adaption to the poem. Field also uses imagery to change the poem to a contemporary. Field uses imagery to build a picture in our head of the modern world Icarus lives in “Had swum away, coming at last to the city Where he rented a house and tended the garden.” (8 and 9) This builds an image of a house in the suburbs in the modern day. Also, Field uses the neighbor’s actions “They would have answered with a shocked, uncomprehending stare.” (15) This makes an image in our head of the neighbors looking shocked about the idea that Icarus flew in feather