High Flight
By: Max Millhollan
Poem
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds -
and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of -
wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.
Hovering there I've chased the shouting wind alone
and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
and, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
the high untrespassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Title
The title makes me think of airplanes
Paraphrase
The author is tslking about his experiences when he was in the air and how it made him feel.
Paraphrase
He's talking about how high he was when he was flying.
Connotative Meaning
Laughter silvered wings
The author is excited to be in the air because he's less likely to be shot down.
Attitude
Shifts
The poem shifts to a happy poem from a serious one.
Title Revised
It's about the author flying his WWII plane.
Theme
You can always make the best out of bad situations.