Perspective
Perspective is one of the poem's main themes. Williams explores this idea both literally and figuratively. Like the painting it is describing, the poem foregrounds the narrative of the farmer tilling his field and marginalizes the mythic tale of Icarus and his deadly fall into the sea. Williams does so, in part, because the painting places its gaze on the farmer and makes Icarus into a minor afterthought in the backdrop. However, Williams also expands on this idea by adding more pieces to the farmer's story and showing how his focus on his work actually trivializes the Icarus story. The farmer is too busy to have time to notice Icarus drowning. The poem is demonstrating how different events look from another point of view. Here, the quotidian story is given more weight than the mythic one.
Everyday Life
Another major theme of this work is everyday life. Bruegel was a painter who was explicitly interested in depicting scenes from small villages and towns. Williams shared similar goals in his poetry. While this poem incorporates a mythic narrative thread (the story of Icarus) it is largely about this same idea. The poem seeks to elevate and even dignify the run-of-the-mill work of the farmer. This is apparent not only in the space the farmer takes up in the poem, but also in the detailed descriptions of his physical labor, freshly growing fields, and sweat. Williams subtly underscores the beauty of this pastoral scene and allows it to overtake a more commonly discussed narrative. Icarus is a particularly fitting choice in this regard, as his story sets up an effective contrast to the farmer's. Icarus was warned never to fly too close to the ocean or the sun and ended up doing both, out of hubris. In comparison, the farmer manages to stay entirely grounded, working diligently and with care, not distracted by the same sort of overblown confidence.
Art
One of the poem's other major themes is art. The text is an ekphrastic poem, meaning it depicts an art object in verse. In this case, it is describing a Bruegel painting. In trying to render a visual image in text, Williams also raises questions about the methods and purpose of this particular work. Alongside its work to prioritize different stories, the poem is also about how formal choices shape the reading of images. By placing the farmer in the foreground, the painting was able to tell an entirely different story about the moment in which Icarus fell to his demise. The poem shares this concern and seeks to explain this decision a bit further, showing how much more detail is present in the farmer's image. Williams was a poet who was extremely interested in the function of imagery, and so it seems perfectly fitting that he chose to analyze this painting in verse and unpack some of its technical moves.
