"Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" is a poem by William Carlos Williams that retells the Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with wings made of feathers and wax and ultimately fell to his death in the sea. The poem, written in five stanzas, presents a contrast between the ordinary, everyday landscape and the dramatic, tragic event that takes place within it.
The first stanza of the poem describes the landscape as "the ploughman may have seen it" - that is, in a mundane and ordinary way. The ploughman, a farmer, is focused on his work and does not pay much attention to the world around him. The landscape is described as "the hipless ocean" and "the western sky," suggesting a vast and open space.
In the second stanza, the focus shifts to the "one ploughing" - the ploughman himself. He is described as "a swart-faced sailor" and "blinking" as he looks up at the sky. This contrast between the ordinary ploughman and the extraordinary event taking place in the sky above him sets the stage for the rest of the poem.
The third stanza introduces the event itself: the fall of Icarus. Williams describes it as a "splash" in the "faint blue" of the sky, which suggests a sudden and unexpected event. The fall of Icarus is described as "a boy falling out of the sky," adding to the sense of tragedy and loss.
In the fourth stanza, the focus returns to the ploughman, who is now described as "a smear" in the landscape. This suggests that the fall of Icarus has had a profound effect on the ploughman, even though he may not fully understand what has happened. The image of the ploughman as a "smear" in the landscape further emphasizes the contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
The final stanza of the poem concludes with a return to the landscape itself. Williams describes the landscape as "a quiet / corner" and "a scene," suggesting a sense of peacefulness and normalcy after the tragedy of Icarus's fall. The final line of the poem, "the ploughman may have / seen it," reinforces the idea that the fall of Icarus is an extraordinary event that takes place within an ordinary landscape.
Overall, "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" is a poignant and thought-provoking poem that explores the contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Through its depiction of the fall of Icarus and its effects on the ploughman, the poem suggests that even within the most mundane and ordinary of landscapes, there is the potential for drama and tragedy to occur.
