To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph - A poem by Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton - To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph

Consider Icarus, pasting those sticky wintgs on, 
testing that strange little tug at his shoulder blade, 
and think of that first flawless moment over the lawn 
of the labyrinth. Think of the difference it made! 
There below are the trees, as awkward as camels; 
and here are the shocked starlings pumping past 
and think of innocent Icarus who is doing quite well: 
larger than a sail, over the fog and the blast 
of the plushy ocean, he goes. Admire his wings! 
Feel the fire at his neck and see how casually 
he glances up and is caught, wondrously tunneling 
into that hot eye. Who cares that feel back to the sea? 
See him acclaiming the sun and come plunging down 
while his sensible daddy goes straight into town.

Added: on October 31st, 2005 at 9:56 AM | Viewed: 7058 times | Comments and analysis of To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph by Anne Sexton Comments (8)

To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph - Comments and Information
Poet: Anne Sexton Poem: To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph Poem of the Day: Oct 30 2006 Comment 8 of 8, added on March 31st, 2007 at 8:16 AM. i think that anne sexton wrote this poem for a friend of hers. she mentions, 'consider icarus'. i suppose she is telling her friend to take icarus as an example, as he might have FAILED, but in a way, he still achieved something. d Comment 7 of 8, added on December 18th, 2005 at 3:43 AM. I didn't interperet the title to be taken in a "Icarus triumphed because of his father's work" way. I understood it more in a "his father's work triumphed because Icarus did" way. A slight difference, but more meaningful, I think. Of course, poetry is subjective... alice Comment 6 of 8, added on October 31st, 2005 at 9:56 AM. One of the other themes in the poem is that triumph requires sacrifice. Nothing comes easily. Often the sacrifice is that the one who triumphs is seen as unusual or strange--witness the 'shocked starlings' who look at Icarus as a thing that is in the wrong place and the 'sensible daddy' who will, undoubtedly be congratulated for being so sensible. One of the reasons for success, Sexton says, is that one is willing to be exceptional. By the way, your site misquotes line 12. It should end with "Who cares that he fell back to the sea?" The poem is a sonnet, and scansion is important to the form of the poem. Elizabeth from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph, has received 8 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Anne Sexton with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Anne Sexton Poem: To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Triumph Last read: Jul 7 2008, 8:59PM Poem of the Day: Oct 30 2006 Viewed 7058 times. Added on October 31st, 2005 at 9:56 AM.

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