Nature's Prominence

I read Daedalus and Icarus for the first time during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Icarus' plight of "flying too close to the sun," and Daedalus' misconception that he could "play God" as a master craftsman often remind me of what was happening in the world before I started reading the Epic: we all were certain in our belief that the virus would not spread, and that the trajectory of our lives would not be altered and affected forever.

I shared my reflections on the story of Daedalus and Icarus with one of my close friends, who I could only see virtually at the time in our Latin class that took place over Zoom. We decided to write a poem together, which I have included below, about Ovid's narration in the line "nātūram novat" meaning "and he [, Daedalus] altered nature." Our poem has been published in Discentes, the Undergraduate Classics Magazine at the University of Pennsylvania. This story, and the time of my life that I spent reading it, changed me immeasurably, and I am deeply grateful to have been able to share our poem with the larger community of Classics.

The poem can also be accessed at this link: https://web.sas.upenn.edu/discentes/2024/02/25/natures-prominence/

“Nātūram novat,” first above all,

Daedalus’ dream, which becomes his downfall.

Hating Crete and the long exile, his desperation took over.1

And Daedalus, playing God, looks to Icarus with composure.

Using unfamiliar arts, attempting to flee, Daedalus constructs wings,

Thinking that they will guide Icarus and him to all good things.

However, instead of altering nature, Daedalus and Icarus experience pain,

Without knowing Icarus’s immaturity, Daedalus faces the shame.

Daedalus with his feather interlaying

Becomes impaired by Icarus and his destructive playing.

Later followed by more unfortunate actions,

Twisting their fate and their familial attractions.

Leading to a trip too close to the sun

Where Icarus dies, and Daedalus loses his loved one.

According to Ovid, he loses more,2

On account of Icarus’s inability to soar:

Daedalus is stripped of the title, “pater.”

For his hope to change nature went wrong,

Because young Icarus could not play along.

Daedalus did not become a God through his far fetched plan,

And of course nature still overrode this craftsman.

“Nātūram novat,” first above all,

Daedalus’ dream, which becomes his downfall.