Mrs Icarus
By Carol Ann Duffy
I’m not the first or the last
to stand on a hillock,
watching the man she married
prove to the world
he’s a total, utter, absolute, Grade A pillock.
Mrs Icarus is a poem written by Carol Ann Duffy published in in her book called The World’s wife. Icarus is a person in the greek mythology. He and his father was imprisoned, his father used wax and strings to tie the feathers together to form wings for them to fly away and escape. They both escaped the island, however Icarus forgot about his father’s warning and flew near the sun, which melted the wax on the wings. Icarus falls into the sea and died.
The idea that the poet wants to deliver through the poem “Mrs. Icarus” is how men can easily become over ambition and stupid things, feels empathetic towards Mrs. Icarus, that she married to a stupid man. Similar to Icarus flying too near the sun, totally forgot the warning his father told him, and do stupid things. “I’m not the first or the last” suggests that the narrator isn’t the only one about Icarus, others also thinks Mrs. Icarus have married a pillock.
The poem is written in first person. It mentions “she” and “he”, base on the title Mrs.Icarus, it suggests that “he” representing Icarus and “she” as Icarus’s wife. The poem is an understanding of the person “I” of the story of icarus base on the perspective of Icarus’s wife. Which the person thinks that “he’s a total, utter, absolute Grade A pillock”. The last word in line 2 “hillock” and line 5 “ pillock” rhymes. The rhyme creates a rhythm for readers to read the poem, giving a light rhythm for the poem, which reduces the seriousness of the message that the poet wants to deliver. The enjambment in line one, two and four also allows the reader to read in a rhythm. The first few lines are short, which all builds up onto the last line, that is the most important line out of the whole poem. The focus on the last line and the rhythm provides a fun tone and a humorous mood to it.
In the last line of the poem he used 3 strong adjective words, which are “ total, utter, absolute.” These 3 words have a first syllable that is stressed. The stressed sound can strengthen the emotion of the narrator on how stupid Icarus really is. Making the audience feels how the narrator feels towards Icarus which he is an absolute idiot. The words that are used in this poem are quite simple and slang. It doesn’t have any formal words. “Pillock” is a slang word meaning stupid people, which creates a lighthearted and humorous mood for the readers.
The poet have written “ grade A pillock” for the last few words of the poem. It is a juxtaposition of putting “Grade A” and “ Pillock” together. Grade A are mostly use to describe someone very intelligent, mostly used in a positive way. However, the way that “grade A “ is used in this poem is using it in a juxtaposition “Grade A pillock”, the two contrasting ideas of stupidity and intelligence is put together to exaggerate and emphasize on the stupidity of icarus. The meaning of “grade A pillock” is Icarus is the most idiotic person out of all other idiots. These few words adds humor to the poem, which makes this poem similar to a joke.
The main focus of the whole poem is the Mrs. Icarus married to a “ pillock” , which is Icarus. The tone of the poem is quite fun, which is formed by a clever arrange of rhythm and rhyme, and the use of slang.
By Carol Ann Duffy
I’m not the first or the last
to stand on a hillock,
watching the man she married
prove to the world
he’s a total, utter, absolute, Grade A pillock.
Mrs Icarus is a poem written by Carol Ann Duffy published in in her book called The World’s wife. Icarus is a person in the greek mythology. He and his father was imprisoned, his father used wax and strings to tie the feathers together to form wings for them to fly away and escape. They both escaped the island, however Icarus forgot about his father’s warning and flew near the sun, which melted the wax on the wings. Icarus falls into the sea and died.
The idea that the poet wants to deliver through the poem “Mrs. Icarus” is how men can easily become over ambition and stupid things, feels empathetic towards Mrs. Icarus, that she married to a stupid man. Similar to Icarus flying too near the sun, totally forgot the warning his father told him, and do stupid things. “I’m not the first or the last” suggests that the narrator isn’t the only one about Icarus, others also thinks Mrs. Icarus have married a pillock.
The poem is written in first person. It mentions “she” and “he”, base on the title Mrs.Icarus, it suggests that “he” representing Icarus and “she” as Icarus’s wife. The poem is an understanding of the person “I” of the story of icarus base on the perspective of Icarus’s wife. Which the person thinks that “he’s a total, utter, absolute Grade A pillock”. The last word in line 2 “hillock” and line 5 “ pillock” rhymes. The rhyme creates a rhythm for readers to read the poem, giving a light rhythm for the poem, which reduces the seriousness of the message that the poet wants to deliver. The enjambment in line one, two and four also allows the reader to read in a rhythm. The first few lines are short, which all builds up onto the last line, that is the most important line out of the whole poem. The focus on the last line and the rhythm provides a fun tone and a humorous mood to it.
In the last line of the poem he used 3 strong adjective words, which are “ total, utter, absolute.” These 3 words have a first syllable that is stressed. The stressed sound can strengthen the emotion of the narrator on how stupid Icarus really is. Making the audience feels how the narrator feels towards Icarus which he is an absolute idiot. The words that are used in this poem are quite simple and slang. It doesn’t have any formal words. “Pillock” is a slang word meaning stupid people, which creates a lighthearted and humorous mood for the readers.
The poet have written “ grade A pillock” for the last few words of the poem. It is a juxtaposition of putting “Grade A” and “ Pillock” together. Grade A are mostly use to describe someone very intelligent, mostly used in a positive way. However, the way that “grade A “ is used in this poem is using it in a juxtaposition “Grade A pillock”, the two contrasting ideas of stupidity and intelligence is put together to exaggerate and emphasize on the stupidity of icarus. The meaning of “grade A pillock” is Icarus is the most idiotic person out of all other idiots. These few words adds humor to the poem, which makes this poem similar to a joke.
The main focus of the whole poem is the Mrs. Icarus married to a “ pillock” , which is Icarus. The tone of the poem is quite fun, which is formed by a clever arrange of rhythm and rhyme, and the use of slang.