Daedalus and Icarus - the poem by W. H. Auden

This poem is written by W. H. Auden, based on the painting “The Fall of Icarus” by Peter Breughel that he had seen in the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels. Auden who visited the museum in 1938 wrote that "In so far as poetry, or any of the arts, can be said to have an ulterior purpose, it is, by telling the truth, to disenchant and disintoxicate."

The poem juxtaposes ordinary events and extraordinary ones, although extraordinary events seem to deflate to everyday ones with his descriptions. Life goes on while a “miraculous birth” occurs, but also while "the disaster" of Icarus's death happens. Even the shepherd, the farmer and the sailors ignored Icarus who has fallen into the sea because they have many other things to do to keep their own survival. This situation painted by Breughel is stated in a form of poem by Auden, which I find done rather metaphorically yet beautifully. I guess they saw him falling and it was actually extraordinary witnessing such a sight but they didn’t care less and continue doing their business.