Icarus's Flight Poem

Which phrase from the poem best expresses what Icarus gained from his flight? RL2

•  “downward plunge” 

•  “point of wisdom”

•  “just far enough” 

•  “upward escape”

Which word best describes the poet’s attitude toward Icarus?

• critical

• dismissive 

• admiring

• questioning 

What is the “cushion” referred to in line 20? RL2

•  the sea into which Icarus fell.      

•  the wings that disintegrated as Icarus fell. 

•  the disappointment Icarus felt when he fell. 

•  the knowledge Icarus gained from his flight.

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 shepherd and farmer could no longer see him 

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

• Icarus knew that he would eventually fall.

• Icarus was surprised by his fall. 

• Icarus regretted trying to fly.

• Icarus knew that people were watching him. 

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.

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.

What is MOST unusual about the structure of the poem?

•  It does not have a consistent rhyme scheme.

•  It is organized into five stanzas. 

•  Capitalization and punctuation are missing. 

•  Sentences extend downward from one stanza into the next.

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

•  Test your limits to learn what’s possible.

•  Practice moderation in all things. 

•  Be content with what you have.

•  Work hard to prepare for the future.