Icarus Allsorts: Greek Mythology

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Icarus Allsorts is a poem that displays war in a very ignorant way. In Greek Mythology, the story of Icarus tells of a man, who's father created him artificial wings. Ignorance and childishness are displayed when Icarus flies too close to the sun, melting his wings. It is a tale of waring, reminding us to remember our limitations and not to be arrogant. The word “allsorts” is a pun on the sweets, liquorice allsorts, further exaggerating the theme of childishness.

The first and second line of the poem continue the theme. “A little bit of heaven fell, From out the sky one day.” This image makes me picture a child looking up towards the sky, unaware that he is watching bombs fall from the sky, mistaking them for “little bits of heaven.” The topic of war only becomes evident in the fifth line, where the poem mentions a General in front of a radar screen. This shows that even the responsible, professional Generals in the army still grin at the opportunity to make an explosion, they are certainly not lacking childishness.

This poem has a very distinct rhythm to it, making it possible to read like a nursery rhyme. However, the poem displays a very dark topic of death, violence and conflict, however somehow is made to sound as if it were written by a young child.

In the poem
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” makes the poem very interesting as it slows down the rhythm of the poem. This changes the mood of the poem from a childish, almost humorous feel, to a much more serious one. This is very effective in the poem and changes the way the reader feels about war because they become aware once again of the awful consequences.

The Hero by Wilfred Owen is very different to Icarus Allsorts. Rather than displaying war in a childish, metaphorical form, the writer is much more blunt and simple. Wilfred Owen writes elegies for lost soldiers, in a more violent and brutal

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