The Fall of Icarus
Ms. Hansen, English 9
The Fall of Icarus
After escaping the labyrinth, Daedalus used feathers and
wax to make wings for himself and his son, Icarus, so they
could fly away from the island of Crete. Icarus didn’t heed
his father’s warning and flew too close to the sun. The wax
melted, the wings fell apart, and Icarus plunged to his
death in the sea.
This myth is a lesson about how teenagers can be reckless
and act as though they are immortal. It is a reminder of
how important it is to listen to adults who have more life
experience and who understand the consequences of their
actions.
Directions
• You will view a couple of paintings and read a
poem about the myth.
• You will write written responses to the
prompts that follow the paintings and the
poem.
• Your answers must be well-thought out and
written in complete sentences.
The Lament for Icarus
-Herbert James Draper, 1898
The Lament for Icarus
• Define lament.
• What is the subject of the painting?
• Who are the characters, and what are they
doing?
• Other than his father, Daedalus, who will mourn
Icarus? Base your answer solely on evidence in
the painting, not conjecture.
• Based on the evidence in the painting, what is the
artist’s view, or attitude, about Icarus falling to his
death?
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
-Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1560
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
• What is the subject of the painting? (Hint: it is not
Icarus).
• List what the various people (ploughman,
shepherd, fisherman, crew) are doing.
• Identify the event that is going unnoticed.
• Other than his father, Daedalus, who will mourn
Icarus? Base your answer on evidence in the
painting, not conjecture.
• Based on the evidence in the painting, what is the
artist’s view, or attitude, about Icarus falling to his
death?
“Musee des Beaux Arts”
• Read the excerpt from the poem, “Musee des
Beaux Arts” by W. H. Auden.
• The title is French for “Museum of Fine Arts”.
Auden was inspired to write the poem after
viewing the painting, Landscape with the Fall
of Icarus, in the museum in 1938. You might
say the painter was the poet’s muse!
Excerpt from Musee des Beaux Arts W. H.
Auden
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the
ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the
sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into
the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that
must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the
sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
“Musee des Beaux Arts”
• Paraphrase what Auden is stating about the
subjects’ reactions to the tragic event that just
occurred.
• Determine what Auden is stating about the
general reaction people have when other people
are suffering.
• Describe in detail an event that is currently
happening somewhere in the real world, in which
people are suffering and yet others just go about
their business.
You are finished!
• Title your paper The Fall of Icarus
• Write your name and period # in the upper
right-hand corner.
• Staple the pages together.
• Place the paper in the appropriate basket.
• Common Core Standards: RL9.1, RL9.5, RL9.7,
RI9.1, RI9.7