Icarus's Flight

What is most unusual about the structure of the poem?

• It does not have a consistent rhyme scheme. 
• It is organized in five stanzas. 
• Capitalization and punctuation are missing. 
• Sentences extend from one stanza to the next. 

What does the poet mean by "the exact point where freedom stopped?" (lines 4-5). 

• The point at which Icarus could no longer fly. 
• The point at which Icarus decided to fly.
• The point at which Icarus plunged into the sea. 
• The point at which the farmer could no longer see him. 

What language device or structure does the poet use to communicate his message? 

• Sentence fragments. 
• Rhyme and repetition. 
• Comparison and contrast.
• Question and answer. 

The poet begins a sentence at the end of each stanza and does not finish it until the first line of the next stanza, as in lines 4 and 5 of the poem. What best describes why the poet uses this structure?

• He uses it to capture the reader’s attention throughout the poem.

• He uses it to make the reader think about what is happening in each stanza.

• He uses it to maintain the flow of the poem and the feeling of being drawn downward.

• He uses it to make the reader go back and read the previous stanza to understand the next one.

Which statement supports the key idea that the knowledge Icarus gained was valuable to him?

• Icarus burned his wings and fell to Earth.

• Icarus found the limits of his freedom.

• Icarus was not seen by shepherds and farmers.

• Icarus discovered a law to protect his fall.

What is MOST unusual about the structure of the poem?            

• A  It does not have a consistent rhyme scheme.
• B  It is organized into five stanzas. 
• C  Capitalization and punctuation are missing. 
• D  Sentences extend downward from one stanza into the next.

What does the poet mean by “the exact point where freedom stopped” (lines 4–5)?    

• A  the point at which Icarus could no longer fly.    
• B  the point at which Icarus decided to fly.
• C  the point at which Icarus plunged into the sea. 
• D  the point at which the shepherd and farmer could no longer see him 

What does the poet mean by “his anticipated plummeting” (line 7)?

• A  Icarus knew that he would eventually fall.
• B  Icarus was surprised by his fall. 
• C  Icarus regretted trying to fly.
• D  Icarus knew that people were watching him. 

What is the best statement of the poem’s theme or message?     

• A  Test your limits to learn what’s possible.
• B  Practice moderation in all things. 
• C  Be content with what you have.
• D  Work hard to prepare for the future.

What was the overall mood of the poem?

• positive

• silly

• negative

• amusing