The Prodigal Son and the Arts
Art forms that are currently in existence borrow their inspiration from the stories of our ancestors. Stories, books, and life experiences are the inspirations for art. Inspiration stories such as the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Myth of Icarus have a huge impact on this. Both stories have been used to inspire poetry, music, and art. Songs and poems based on the story of a prodigal father have inspired many songs and poems. Poets, songwriters, and poets have used the myth about Icarus as inspiration to discuss music and poems on topics like regret, overconfidence and the desire for freedom. Art is a powerful influence on our lives. This is why the parable of Icarus and its myth about Icarus have had a profound influence on our way of living.
The story of the prodigal child tells how the last son of a wealthy man took his portion of the wealth, traveled to far-flung lands, had fun, and then squandered it. The prodigal son returns home, poor, and eats with the animals and sleeps in a pig sty. To the dismay of his brother, his father welcomes him home. The myth of Icarus describes a father-son team who built their wings. Daedalus, the father, wanted his son to fly free. Over the years they collected feathers, and wax was used to fix the wings. Icarus flew so close to sun that it was almost unbearable. Icarus was unable to fly because the sun’s heat melted the wax. He died. These stories are a source of inspiration for many art forms, including poetry, music, and everyday situations. The themes that the parable of prodigal Son inspires include forgiveness, planning for the future, coming home, parenting, as well as wise spending. This parable has been used to inspire Christian followers to be good people. Some musicians use this parable to determine their stage names. The myth about Icarus includes themes such as freedom, regret and overconfidence. This myth inspired poetry, music, art, and many other aspects of human life over the centuries.
A picture can be worth a thousand words, but a painting will probably be more valuable. The parable of Icarus is a source of inspiration for many paintings around the world. Rembrandt Vijn’s painting The return of a prodigal son, c.1668′ illustrates artwork that is influenced by the parable. The painting can be seen here to encourage family reconciliation. Another paintings include Pompeo Baconi’s 1773 work, James Tissot’s 1603 painting, and Hans Sebald Benam’s 1538 engraving. Many Icarus-inspired artworks exist. These include the ‘Daedalus and Icarus’ artwork by Charles Le Brun and the ‘Daedalus and Icarus (1779)’ artwork by Charles Paul London.
Calvin Curtis has used the parable “The prodigal boy” to inspire musicians like Prodigal Boy. His Christian upbringing has led to the choice of his name. (Observer). Arthur Sullivan also adapted the story to a concert. He chooses a text from Luke’s Gospel. The parable is also the inspiration for Luminate’s song “Come Home”, Sidewalk Prophets’ song “Prodigal” and Keith Green’s song “The prodigal suite”. Musicians and musicians have also been inspired by the myth about Icarus. The Iron Maiden has sung ‘Flight of Icarus. The lyrics include words such “now that his wings are turned to ashes, ashes his grave” which shows the melting of wings due to heated wax. Bastille’s Bad Blood, “Icarus” and Ocean Voyager’s ‘Prophecy” are some other songs. They sing “The Icarus fate. A prophecy.” Icarus Wind is a song by Thea Gilmore that says “It’s The Icarus wind telling my lies.”
The prodigal son is the inspiration for many poems. Ramachandran wrote ‘The Prodigal Son’. In stanza 4, he said that “His search in vain for a job made him a servant who feeds swine.” Other poems include “The prodigal’s son’s bro” by Steve Kowit. He says that “His pursuit of a job in vain made his a servant to the pigeons.” Mel Harcum’s “Icarus” quoting “I believe Icarus forgot Was the sun never his?” Irina’s “The Fall of Icarus”, in which she writes “You where the sun and Icarus, I was meant be falling for you.” (Poetry).
Christian youth can learn from the parable of the prodigal boy about love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and how to be hopeful. The Gospels of Luke teach moral character and help youth to live moral lives. Icarus’ myth teaches us about life under the perspective of being proud, egoistic, and prideful. The need to be free and willing to take risks. These stories teach life skills and prepare you for new experiences.