Labyrinth or Maze?
Reading Li’s poem "A Journey of Escape: "The Fall of Icarus"", I thought of the intricate puzzle built on the island of Crete in ancient Greece. Icarus’ father, Daedalus, might be the most well-known architect and craftsman in Greek mythology, whose legend is related to many classic myths. Among his many creations, the most famous is the one used to imprison the half-man-and-half-bull monster, Minotaur.
Is this puzzle a Labyrinth or Maze? Both words depict a complicated and perplexing series of pathways. What is the difference between them then?
A labyrinth is a puzzle with only one and same entrance and exit. The pathway to the center is unicursal and branchless, while a maze, the centerless puzzle, has multiple entrances and exits, with branching as its most defining characteristics. In short, a labyrinth is kind of an easy version of a maze.
Labyrinth
Maze
Daedalus built a labyrinth for Minos, the King of Crete, and helped Ariadne, the princess of Crete, save her lover, Theseus, the Prince of Athens. Theseus was able to escape from the Labyrinth with a ball of yarn tied at the entry of the Labyrinth after slaying Minotaur. But Daedalus’ kindness enraged Minos who shut Daedalus and Icarus into the Labyrinth. Both labyrinth and maze themselves are metaphorical, indicating a dilemma where a decision is hard to make. In this scenario, Daedalus was able to help Theseus survive, but failed to exit out of the puzzle he created by himself.
* * *
The following poem is written by Li and you can also read his art critique about the painting, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, at his blog.
https://blog.wenxuecity.com/myblog/58832/202106/7263.html
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
1.
according to the poets it is our attitude toward human sufferings
but for Pieter Bruegel the Elder he may just continue telling an old story
while I think no one will overlook those terrible things
because it is so attractive to our human kindness mind
in nowadays consumerism life.
but to me, it might be a lyric of time
because it is the time that offers us the final relief
it melts our flying wings on our fleeing ways.
2.
Icarus and his father were flying in the sky happily and freely.
Icarus was flying even higher and farther than his father.
Icarus was tumbled and trembled in front of his father and fell from the elysian sky,
His wings melted and his feathers scattered apart
I was screaming and was falling in my dream
I was the Child tumbling from the sky
Waking up upon hitting hard on the bed
then realized that
My Dad had lost his son
Forever
Li
2021/05/27
