Icarus

In Mythology, Icarus falls to a wet death when he flies to close to the sun and melts his wings, but maybe he didn't actually die. The poem, "Icarus," by Edward Field takes a look at the latter side of the story. Icarus becomes "'That nice Mr. Hicks'," losing his true identity. Each person connects their being to their name; one would feel empty without it. It is the first thing a baby hears, what …

…did not want to live with the knowledge that he could have been something more. His father went on with life, able to tell of the great journey they were both supposed to take through the bright blue sky that morning while Icarus must go through life pretending. In this poem, Field shows how it is better that the boy drowned upon falling, for a life of regret would have followed him the other way.