TDA Writing Prompt &

TDA Essay Response

Writing Prompt

Nature often has a role in many myths. Write an essay analyzing the role of nature in ​both​ the
passage and the poem. Use evidence from ​both​ the passage and the poem to support your
response.

TDA Essay Response

Nature normally plays a big role in myths. In the passage “Icarus and Daedalus” and the

poem ​Icarus​, nature is being used to develop the story. During the stories, Daedalus and Icarus

are imprisoned in a tower surrounded by guarded ships. Daedalus has to find a way to escape

from the tower and not be caught. In both passages nature is being used, one is that the

feathers from the birds helped Daedalus create wigs to escape from the guarded tower, another

is that the nature brought joy to the father and son when they were flying, and the sun is a

tragedy by causing the death of Icarus. This proves that nature is being used in both passages.

Nature helps the father and son escape from the guarded tower that they were

imprisoned to. While Daedalus was sitting in his cell with his son, Icarus, he watched the birds

and got an idea to escape. Eventually Daedalus collected enough feathers for him to make two

wings so that they would escape. In paragraph 3 and 4 of the passage “Icarus and Daedalus”,

the author states “watching the seagulls in the air… he thought of a plan for himself and his

young son Icarus” and “Little by little, he gathered a store of feathers great and small. He

fastened these together with thread, molded them in with wax, and so fashioned two great

wings like those of a bird.” This proves that nature provided an idea and the materials to make

the escape happen.

In the passage, nature and the wind brings joy to the father and son while they were
flying through the air to escape the tower. When Icarus was flying, the wide vacancy of the air

dazed them and when a wind filled his wings, he felt sustained. In paragraph 8 of the passage

“Icarus and Daedalus” the author says “At first there was a terror in the joy. The wide vacancy of

the air dazed them… But when a great wind filled their wings, and Icarus felt himself sustained.”

The shows that the wind and nature brought joy to Daedalus and Icarus as they were escaping

their prison cell.

Nature brought a tragedy to the myth by causing the death of Icarus when he got too

close to it. When Icarus expanded his arms and made towards to the highest heavens he felt

the air getting warmer and warmer the higher he went in the sky. The sun started to melt the

wax on the wings and the feathers started falling off, one by one, and soon Icarus was

plummeting into the ocean. In paragraph 9 of the passage “Icarus and Daedalus” the author

stated “Warmer and warmer grew the air… His wings wavered, drooped. He fluttered his young

hands and vainly--he was falling--and in that terror he remembered. The heat of the sun had

melted the wax from his wings; the feathers were falling, one by one… there was none to help.”

In stanza 1 and 2 of the poem ​Icarus​ the author states “Did Icarus falling, watching white

feathers flutter upward, curse the wax as a fair-weathered friend?” and “It seemed such a strong

solid type, but it melted away when things got hot.” This proves that the sun had caused a

tragedy by causing the death of Icarus because he flew too close to it.

Nature normally plays a key factor in myths and the two passages. During both of the

passages nature is being used, one is that nature provided an idea for Daedalus and provided

the materials needed to escape, another is that it brought joy to the father and son when the

wind filled their wings, and the sun caused a tragedy when Icarus flew too close to it and it
melted the wax and Icarus fell into the ocean. This provides evidence to prove that nature plays

a big role in myths and that it is in the passage “Icarus and Daedalus” and the poem ​Icarus.​