Flying was discovered a very long time ago. Since its discovery, many people have experimented with many different types of planes and crafts to give them the sense of thrill that flying usually gives to lots of people. Some people like to fly helicopters because they say it gives them the power of easy steering, while others like to fly big commercial jumbo jets. However, there are also many people who are terrified of flying. They would do anything to avoid this experience. Because of the diverse world, there are many different opinions about flying. In his sonnet "High Flight," Magee creates a sense of freedom, joy, and sanctity through flying. .
First of all, he explains how freedom, which he gains from flying, gives him pleasure and delight. He clarifies that he escapes the "surly bonds" of earth and "dances the skies" with "laughter-silvered wings." He is free to do whatever he may please. There are no laws holding him back as he does "a hundred things you have not dreamed of." The great sense of freedom develops into a sense of bliss and elation. Magee describes himself as chasing the "shouting wind." This shouting is from the excitement and exhilaration of freedom and space! The poet demonstrates to the readers the enormous thrill he experiences during flight as he tops the "windswept heights." He goes above all and proves that he truly is an achiever! To show the true joy he undergoes Magee uses "sunward", "sun-split clouds" and "sunlit silence." The light imagery illustrates to the readers the sense of ecstasy and delight the poet goes through since usually light is directly linked to happiness.
Secondly, the poet experiences a feeling of peace and quiet. "High in the sunlit silence," he says, demonstrating the sense of serenity soaring in the sky. The skies are portrayed as "footless," "where never lark or even eagle flew," "silent lifting mind," and "unsurpassed.
