William Carlos Williams

Student’s Name
Mark A. TamboneEnglish Composition II
Date
Final Project: The Use Mythical Imagery in “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by William Carlos Williams
In this final project, we aim to establish a comparison between the images in the poem; Brueghel’s painting, and the Greek myth of the Icarus and Daedalus. In our introduction, we shall provide a background on the myth; the labor of the poet William Carlos Williams, and the painter Brueghel. Afterward, we shall answer the questions posed in a thorough and comprehensive way.
INTRODUCTION
Brief Synopsis of the Myth of Icarus and Daedalus. Icarus, son of Daedalus, one of the most revered inventors in the court of Minos, king of Crete. The most familiar recount with the myth we have is that of Ovid. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Daedalus was shut down in his tower to prevent him from revealing the secrets of the labyrinth (Ide 1). Since he could not leave Crete by sea, as Minos had all the boats strictly controlled. Nor by foot, since Crete, being an island did not have land routes, the only way to escape was by air. Knowing that, Daedalus fabricated two sets of wings, one for himself, and another for his son Icarus. Daedalus gave the wings a bird-like appearance and covered them with wax. After the wings had been done, Daedalus and his son, Icarus prepared for the journey. The inventor warned his son not to fly too close from the sun, as the sun could melt the wax, nor too low as the foam could soak the…