Poetry Blog 198 Icarus

 Fall of Icarus Blondel Decoration Louvre

ICARUS

Redon Fall of Icarus

In Greek myth Icarus was the son of Daedalus who created the labyrinth that housed the Minotaur. However, for advising Ariadne to give Theseus the thread that helped him escape the Labyrinth, after killing the Minotaur, Daedalus and his son were imprisoned in a tall tower. Being, it seems, the MacGyver of his day, Daedalus built wings from the feathers birds dropped when coming to be fed bread and the wax of a beehive in the tower. Then he and Icarus flew from the prison over the sea. Icarus, however, overstepped the boundaries, despite his father’s warnings thus committing the sin of hubris or trying to be a “god.” In the poem the verses (except the last one) and  are Daedalus to Icarus.
Originally conceived as a song lyric you can hear a You Tube video version of the song at the bottom of the blog. 

The Lament of Icarus Herbert Draper

ICARUS

So flee the fretful hour,

Escape the prison tower;

Take to the sky's free power.

Don't rise up ever higher,

Don't soar to kingdom come;

Don't fly too near the fire,

Don't sail too near the sun;

Icarus, Icarus-

We cross the lashing sea,

We ride the winds so free,

Escaping joyfully.

Don't push beyond your part,

Don't force your rising flight;

Don't seek the sun's bright heart,

Don't reach beyond your right;

Icarus, Icarus -

The sun is warm on wings,

On wings of wax and strings;

Pay heed unto these things,

Don't try to touch the sun,

Don't go beyond your need;

Don't tease the shining one,

Don't grasp with boundless greed;

Icarus, Icarus-

Drunk on the fresh, free air,

All filled with joy he'd dare

To taunt the sun up there.

Don't press beyond your power,

Don't try to steal the light;

You can't pick heaven's flower,

You can't have endless sight;

Icarus, Icarus-

The wings melt in the glow,

And down and down he goes,

Drowns in the sea below.

Don't puff up with false pride,

Don't boast you are the best;

Don't take greed as your guide,

Don't put it to the test;

Icarus, Icarus-

So heed the story's call,

You just can't have it all,

Or else you're bound to fall.

Don't rise up ever higher,

Don't soar to kingdom come;

Don't fly too near the fire,

Don't sail too near the sun. 

Peter Bruegel Landscape with the Fall of Icarus This painting in which Icarus is but a detail just below the ship was he subject of a famous poem by Auden https://genius.com/W-h-auden-musee-des-beaux-arts-annotated