Comparing the portrayals of theme of ambition and failure in literary works

‘ Icarus is a hero because he is ambitious and successful; however, since he is unaware of consequences from disobedience he may also be considered a failure.’

Flight 063

Icarus wants to be ambitious and successful but he is unaware of the consequences. In Flight 063 by Brian Aldiss in stanza five, Icarus starts to fly closer to the sun. “ Up, up” is repeated. Icarus flies “ up, up” after he jumps off the cliff on his wings made of wax and feathers. Icarus is ambitious and he finds himself successful. When people think of ambition they picture someone who is outgoing and often successful. That person feels like they are on a cloud going “ up, up”. Icarus flying close to the Sun was just a silly limitation to him. Little did he know this would melt the wax on his wings and he would fall to his death. Ambition comes with “ limitations”. Although ambition requires going out of one’s comfort zone limitations and boundaries should not be crossed. Limitations are restrictions or boundaries that are not meant to be crossed. When Icarus flies further from the ground up to the sun he begins to unheed his father’s instructions. He thinks that ambition is fun and rewarding. It is not always that way. There are consequences, and he fails to notice them so he falls into the water.

To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph

Ambition success and failure. In To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph by Anne Sexton in lines nine through twelve, Icarus is wondrously tunneling into the sun. People tend to admire celebrities, influential people, and heroes. “ Icarus’s wings deserve to be admired”. He has ambition and courage with endless possibilities in mind. Icarus is successful and completes the idea of flying to safety. As Icarus continues to soar through the sky, he flies closer and closer to the sun. He is out of control “ wondrously tunneling into that hot eye”, the sun. The sun resembles Icarus’s goal he wishes to meet the line of god and man. Then he reached the melting point of the wax. Icarus “ fell back into the sea” after his wings melted from the sun. Icarus risked his life to try to get to safety and it is the thought that counts.

Musee des Beaux-Arts

Failure is important for ambition, never failing will never know what to fix. In Musee des Beaux-Arts by W. H. Auden in lines fourteen through seventeen, the townspeople do not recognize Icarus’s success. Icarus started as being captured to trying to get to safety but he failed and everyone “ turns away”. Tfhis is not seen as an accomplishment to any of the townspeople. It is seen as a “ disaster”. No one seems to notice or care. They seem to just mind their own business. Icarus failed. Not everything someone does is going to end with success. Especially taking risks. Even though Icarus failed it is not considered an important event. The failure is not what is important it is about the motivation it took him to get there. Taking risks comes with chances of success and failure. In the end, failure helps move people forward.