Friday, August 30, 2019
I, Icarus
I, Icarus by Alden Nowlan Dreams are the perfect worlds for all of us for dreams give us the chances to possess the goals we are craving for that we might not be able to have in reality. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a famous German writer, artist, and politician, expresses his perspective about dreams: ââ¬Å"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move hearts of menâ⬠. Through ââ¬Å"I, Icarusâ⬠- one of the poems in the collection Bread, Wine and Salt by Alden Nowlan, we readers will get to know his childhoodââ¬â¢s vivid dream.Alden Nowlan produces a striking effect that leaves deep impressions in readersââ¬â¢ minds right at the beginning of the poem with its title ââ¬Å"I, Icarusâ⬠. As to my understanding, the title refers to Greek myth which is about Icarus- the son of the master craftsman. Icarusââ¬â¢s father constructed two pairs of wings from feathers and wax for the purpose of escaping Crete, and also warned him not to fly too close to the sun. Ignoring his fatherââ¬â¢s caution, Icarus attempted to reach the sun, which resulted the wax to melt and cost him his own life.Through the titleââ¬â¢s allusion and Nowlanââ¬â¢s act of putting ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠in front of the name ââ¬Å"Icarusâ⬠, readers get some hints that this poem might be another story of catastrophic fall caused by over-ambition. After a few first times reading ââ¬Å"I, Icarusâ⬠, readers might superficially interpret the meaning to be about a flying dream, yet if we dig deeper, we will be able to comprehend the yearning to reach a superior dimension of Nowland. As a matter of fact, Alden Nowland was born in a small village in Nova Scotia; the constrictions had influenced him to foster the dream of breaking free to seek his own prospects.Nowland reflects back to his childhood and imagines he was flying beyond all the restrictions that had been confining him. Even though fictional elements play the main role in the whole poem, Nowlandââ¬â¢s detailed description and firm assertion ââ¬Å"There was a time when I could fly. I swear it. ââ¬Å"(1), ââ¬Å"I rose slowlyâ⬠¦toward the windowâ⬠(9-12) have thoroughly convinced readers that he could really fly. The metaphorical and imagery has been utilized intriguingly as an analogy to represent the country life of Nowlandââ¬â¢s childhood.Like a gentle sheep, Nowland is penned inside the boundary of the ââ¬Å"pasture fenceâ⬠(13); ââ¬Å"the music of flutesâ⬠(16) is played by the shepherd to lure and tell him to be satisfied with this confinement. On the other hand, the sheep himself is eager to go on an adventure to explore the mysterious space behind ââ¬Å"the dark, the haunted treesâ⬠(14), thus wishes it could fly to float ââ¬Å"beyond the pastureâ⬠(15). To another extent, the imagery of the countryside does not only indicate feelings of confinement, but also evokes senses of peace and secure.Even though Nowland ââ¬â the ââ¬Å"shee pâ⬠ââ¬â has the feelings of being restricted by the constrictions of this small town, it still brings back to him safety that protects him from the perils behind ââ¬Å"the dark, the haunted treesâ⬠(14). Standing outside Nature, enjoying the harmonious melodies of an Aeolian harp ââ¬â ââ¬Å"the music of the flutesâ⬠that ââ¬Å"the wind madeâ⬠(16- 17) falling in line together with ââ¬Å"voices singingâ⬠, Nowland becomes intimate with Nature and his beloved hometown.In brief, ââ¬Å"I, Icarusâ⬠has reflected successfully Nowlandââ¬â¢s complex emotions and currents of thoughts; he cherishes his great ambitions to escape from restrictions and explore a whole new world outside, yet still be attached to his familiar homeland which provides him extreme protections and harmony. Relating the context of the whole poem to its own title ââ¬Å"I, Icarusâ⬠, readers now realize that itââ¬â¢s not a story about Nowlandââ¬â¢s catastrophic fal l as Icarus, but his wonders whether he should be a risk-taker to pursue his dream of reaching the sun or live a peaceful and ordinary life.
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