Question

Why does Auden postpone mentioning Icarus until the second stanza of the poem? How might this

connect to the theme of Breughel's painting? (poem and painting)
The poem isn't about Icarus; his story is only an afterthought that the poet attaches to the end.
The poem isn't about Icarus; his story is only used to illustrate the point the poet is making
The poem is creating suspense by revealing Icarus's story after slowly leading up to it.

Answer 1

Answer: The poem itself is about suffering as an integral constituent of life. The Icarus motif is just an example, albeit a very drastic one. The quote "delicate ship" is on its course and it keeps sailing, although the crew must have seen "a boy falling out of the sky". In other words, the strange death of a young boy changes nothing in the course of other people's lives. That is why, unlike Williams' poem, this one doesn't even have Icarus in its title, but the Museum. It deals with the relations of life and death.

Step-by-step explanation: