Writing Assignment 8

Painting Prompt

Take a moment to look at this painting by Pieter Brueghel painting Fall of Icarus. See if you can find Icarus.


In case you're having trouble, you can see Icarus's arm sticking out of the water underneath the boat on the right-hand side.

If you're unfamiliar with Icarus, he is a Greek mythological figure. As the story goes Icarus's father made a set up wax wings for him and his son so that they could escape from the Minotaur's maze. Rather than go straight home, Icarus disobeyed his father's orders and started flying higher and higher. Icarus flew so high that the sun melted his wings and he plummeted to is death. Because he died while trying to go as high as he could go, Icarus is sometimes considered a romantic figure. Instead of listening to reason Icarus pushed himself to the limits and eventually paided the ultimate price.

Now I would like you read this poem by William Carlos Williams entitled “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”.
According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
near

the edge of the sea
concerned
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings' wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

Do you see how Williams' was able to draw inspiration from Brueghel's painting to create this poem?

Sometimes it is helpful for poets to seek out inspiration objects. For the purpose of this next assignment I would like to find a picture to write about. This picture doesn't have to be a famous painting, it could technically be any type of image. Next I would like you to this this picture as an apparatus for today's writing activity.

Just as a suggestion, I would recommend that you find a picture that has a particular meaning to you. It could be a family photo or a picture of something important, such as the World Trade Center. These types of images would probably stir a greater emotional response from you than say a picture of Justin Timberlake (unless you are a huge Justin Timberlake fan.

Good Luck.