The Flight of Icarus vs Icarus's Flight

Which statement best describes the message of the poem?

• Icarus flew too far for no good reason.

• Icarus learned something by flying too far.

• Icarus had a habit of flying too far.

• Icarus was excited by flying too far.

In these lines the poet puts a question mark before the end of the line.

What else could the boy have done?

But how could he appreciate his freedom without knowing the exact point where freedom stopped?

Would it have been better to flutter ignorantly from petal to petal within some garden forever?

Should it matter that neither shepherd nor farmer with his plow watched him fall?

The poet does this to -

• Make the reader pause.

• Create randomness.

• Exclaim a thought loudly.

• Reverse the meaning of the line.

Reread this first line of the poem.

Which sentence best describes the poet's purpose for beginning the poem this way?

• He wants to criticize Icarus.

• He wants to establish sympathy for Icarus.

• He wants to establish that Icarus did not know what he was doing.

• He wants to establish the idea that Icarus was a young boy.

How does the poet use language to set the tone of the poem?

• He uses exciting language to set a fiery tone.

• He uses formal language to set an uncaring tone.

• He uses reasoning language to set a thoughtful tone.

• He uses mournful language to set a sad tone.

Which word best describes the theme of this poem?

• Fear

• Wisdom

• Insight

• Freedom

The poet's use of the words liberty and freedom create what mood in the poem?

• Cautious

• Careless

• Serious

• Frightening

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

• He burned his wings and fell to Earth.

• He found the limits of his freedom.

• He was not seen by shepherds and farmers.

• He discovered a law to protect his fall.

The poet begins a sentence at the end of each stanza and does not finish it until the first line of the next stanza. 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 thing about that 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 two statement reflect the poet's purpose in writing the poem?

• To retell the myth of Icarus.

• To provide a detailed account of Icarus's flight and fall.

• To question the lesson of the myth of Icarus.

• To provide an alternative viewpoint.

• To persuade the reader that Icarus was careless.

Which phrase from the poem best expresses what Icarus gained from his flight?

• "just far enough"

• "upward escape"

• "downward plunge"

• "point of wisdom"