Poetry Project
Dawson Redden
High Flight
High Flight
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. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, 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.
- John Magee
Paraphrase
Connotation
"The open sky's"and in the open where there is harmony
Attitude of the speaker
Shift
"High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung"
They go from sun shining to shouting wind along and flung.