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The poem talks about suffering and sacrifice, and its place in the very fabric and fiber of human destiny, or the lack of it. The poem mentions Icarus, son of inventor Daedelus who made wings that enabled Icarus to fly in order that they can escape their prison, the Labyrinth in Crete. Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, as the wax would melt, nor too close to the sea, as the wax would dampen. Icarus soared so high that he came too close to the sun that the sun’s heat melted the wax by which his wings were attached.
He fell into the sea and drowned.
Suffering and sacrifice is too commonplace in the world that it takes place while human beings are up and about their daily routine — eating, opening a window, just walking dully along, skating, ploughing or sailing calmly on. It is too commonplace that it is expected. It is too commonplace that it’s arrival or happening is feared and dreaded at the same time, despite the fact that it cannot really be avoided — it is meant to happen — it is meant to be felt and experienced.
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Human beings through experience already know how painful and difficult it is, the intensity and depth just varies.
For some, the pain is deeper; for some, the pain is superficial. It is because of this knowledge of the nature of suffering and pain that children ignore that it will come along, short of wishing that it never take place while the elders, wise and experienced as they are, look forward to it knowing that there is something better and brighter in exchange for the pain and suffering.
The pain and difficulty that comes with suffering and sacrifice are caused by various factors. In part it is caused by man’s own foolishness, greed, or envy, and by the fact that it has to happen — it is part of how things ought to be.
However it cannot be denied that some sacrifices are just painful, without reason nor importance for its existence. The cause or reason and consequence or importance of suffering and sacrifice depends on who is actually experiencing the pain and difficulty. It may mean something, but then again it may not. It may bring forth something good — a valuable learning, but then again it may not. To the children, it may mean nothing; to the elders, it symbolizes new hope, but to Icarus — to the foolish man, it means nothing. Why Icarus? Icarus is symbolic of man’s desire and yearning for more.
Icarus lived in a time when man experienced envy of the birds and their flight. While Icarus was addressing such envy, he forgot his own limits — not too close to the sun, not to close to the sea. This was the source of his suffering and ultimately, his demise. Like Icarus, man forgets his limits that he causes his own sufferings, pains and difficulties. The ultimate insight that the poem imparts is that suffering and sacrifice is necessitated by our human experience. Suffering and sacrifice, and the pain and difficulty that come with it, is what makes us human.
Such completes the human experience — dreadful martyrdom. It is part of our destiny but not to the point that each and every pain has already been pre-set and pre-determined for each and every human being. It is part of our destiny as each and every human being is meant to experience it. It may be as tragic as drowning after almost reaching the sun or not. It may be as superficial or shallow as falling from one’s first bike ride without training wheels, or not. The intensity varies but it is meant to happen — it is meant to be felt.
This is why it takes place while others are eating, opening a window, just walking dully along, skating, ploughing or sailing calmly on or while one is eating, opening a window, just walking dully along, skating, ploughing or sailing calmly on. Insight on “Pike” by Ted Hughes A pike pertains to various objects or concepts. It pertains to a pole weapon — a very long thrusting spear, which is used by soldiers to make hedge hog formations during battle in the ancient times. It also pertains to a break dancing step where the legs are together in a 90-degree angle.
It may also be a very difficult jump in cheer dancing where both legs are straight out with the knees locked. It also pertains to a turnpike in the highway, which is only raised upon the payment of toll. In the context of Hughes’ writing, pike pertains to the specie of fresh water fish. This particular fish is ravenous and has high survival instincts. In relation to this, it is characteristic of fighting qualities. Pikes prey on smaller organisms but they are known for preying on their own type or specie. The pike is portrayed as a self-absorbed being.
It is absorbed in its hundred feet grandeur that even its colors try to better the other — the green tigers the gold. In the poem, as the pike has high survival instincts and fighting qualities, after they were caught and placed behind glass or inside an aquarium, they attacked and killed each other in such vicious manner as they spare nobody — not even their own kind. This is why, in the end, only one was left. In ancient Russian mythology, it was believed that this ravenous and instinctive characteristic comes from the fact that a pike is an assumed form of an evil spirit.
Given this particular vicious and ruthless scene, the truth or half-truth from which such mythology was derived cannot be denied. The marine world or the pond, where the pike belonged or lived in, is a microcosm of the human world that the pike truly is symbolic of man. The pike as it lingers in its own grandeur is truly symbolic of man and his conceit and greed. As a pike preys on smaller organisms and on its own specie, man preys on man as well. Man preys on man by finding glory in the other’s weakness or failure, or by being instrumental in the other’s weakness or failure.
Man spares nobody, not even his own, if that would accord him ultimate magnificence and splendor. Man is self-absorbed in his own grandeur that he looks upon himself as a hundred feet long in this world — the greatest in this world, in comparison with other beings and in comparison with other men. The pond where the pikes lived and by analogy, where man lived has been witness to man’s history and how man has been consumed and still is consumed by greed and conceit, in pursuit of glory.
Such had outlived all the past eras, civilizations and generations. The ultimate value the poem imparts is the fact that at the end of the day, man is innately evil — killers from the egg. Man, like the pike is beautiful outside but is filled with horror inside. Man appears terrific outside but is truly horrific insider. This is apparent from his malevolent agent grin. The pike is symbolic of the plight of man — that in order for man to achieve the ultimate, he must be true to its evil self and nature.
Insight on the “Fall of Icarus” by Breughel. (2017, Apr 29). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/insight-on-the-fall-of-icarus-by-breughel-essay
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