14 Must-Read Poems about Flying

Poems about flying often evoke a sense of freedom and possibility. They explore the human desire to soar above the mundane and transcend earthly limitations. Flying can represent a release from the constraints of gravity, and poets have used this image to express various emotions.

Some poems about flying focus on the physical experience of flight, describing the sensation of being lifted into the air and the exhilaration of soaring through the sky. Other poems use the metaphor of flying to explore spiritual or emotional themes, such as the search for meaning or the longing for connection.

Poets have drawn inspiration from a variety of sources when writing about flying. Some have looked to the natural world, describing the flight of birds or the movement of the clouds. Others have turned to mythology, drawing on the stories of gods and heroes who possessed the power of flight.

Poems about Flying Visual Representation

Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

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Star-Fix

by Marilyn Nelson

‘Star-Fix’ by Marilyn Nelson is a poem that lionizes the noble role of the navigator onboard an aircraft.

Nelson's poem gives both a realistic and surreal vision of flying. In looking through the eyes of the navigator, the imagery of the poem is rooted in its celestial transportations as it is in the rudimentary instruments necessary for making calculations. The poem is incredibly powerful and provides readers with one of the best depictions of flying in poetry.

At his cramped desk under the astrodome, the navigator looks

thousands of light-years everywhere but down. He gets a celestial fix,

measuring head-winds; checking the log; plotting wind-speed,

altitude, drift in a circle of protractors, slide-rules, and pencils.

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To Beachey, 1912

by Carl Sandburg

‘To Beachey, 1912‘ by Carl Sandburg is a poem that expresses the author’s appreciation for aviation. The main character of the poem is flying in an airplane, and from high up, he is able to really appreciate the beauty of the blue sky.

The poem captures the excitement and beauty of early aviation, using vivid imagery and lyrical language to evoke the thrill of flight. The poem captures the exhilaration of soaring above the earth and the mastery and confidence of piloting an aircraft. At the same time, the poem acknowledges the risks and dangers inherent in early aviation, as the aviator is described as having the "death-laughter" in his throat.

Riding against the east,

A veering, steady shadow

Purrs the motor-call

Of the man-bird

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High Flight

by John Gillespie Magee

Magee’s ‘High Flight’ tells the exhilaration and freedom of flight, capturing the fearless spirit of those who leave the earth behind to fly.

The poem 'High Flight' celebrates flying, capturing the exhilaration and freedom of soaring above the earth. The speaker delights in the freedom of the skies, describing the exhilarating experience of wheeling, soaring, and swinging "through footless halls of air." Through vivid imagery and sensory language, the poem captures the transcendent joy that comes with breaking the bonds of gravity and rising into the heavens.

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

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First Flight

by U. A. Fanthorpe

‘First Flight’ by U.A. Fanthorpe follows a narrator’s first flight as they rise above the ground and commentate on their journey.

The poem explores the specific flying experience, with its unique sensations and disorienting effects. The speaker's initial discomfort and unease with the plane's movement gives way to a sense of wonder and awe at the sight of the "broad meringue kingdom / of cumulus," and the "crinkled tangerine stain / That light spreads on an evening sea at home."

Plane moves. I don’t like the feel of it.

In a car I’d suspect low tyre pressure.

A sudden swiftness, earth slithers

Off at an angle. The experienced solidly

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The Captive Dove

by Anne Brontë

‘The Captive Dove’ by Anne Brontë is a powerful example of her verse that reminds readers that all living things desire freedom.

The poem explores the plight of a captive dove that cannot fly and is trapped within a confined space. The dove's instinct to fly and explore the world beyond its confines is a recurring theme throughout the poem.

Poor restless dove, I pity thee;

And when I hear thy plaintive moan,

I mourn for thy captivity,

And in thy woes forget mine own.

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Flying Inside Your Own Body

by Margaret Atwood

‘Flying Inside Your Own Body’ by Margaret Atwood speaks on the freedom one can achieve in the dream world, verses the restrictions of reality.

The poem describes the feeling of flying and the freedom it brings. The speaker compares the sensation to a balloon, with the body becoming hollow and weightless. The imagery of the sun's winds blowing through the body reinforces the idea of flight.

Your lungs fill & spread themselves,

wings of pink blood, and your bones

empty themselves and become hollow.

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To a Butterfly

by William Wordsworth

There are two poems by the title ‘To a Butterfly’ in William Wordsworth’s 1807 poetry collection, “Poems, in Two Volumes.” The first poem is the best-known in comparison to the latter one.

The poem 'To A Butterfly' celebrates the beauty and freedom of the butterfly's flight. The imagery of the butterfly flitting among the trees and flowers evokes a sense of wonder and joy. The poem celebrates the beauty of the image and the power the butterfly has to rise above the world.

Stay near me - do not take thy flight!

A little longer stay in sight!

Much converse do I find in thee,

Historian of my infancy!

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To a Skylark

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

‘To a Skylark’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley is an ode. It celebrates the beauty of nature and the bliss of a skylark’s song.

The poem revolves around a skylark, a bird renowned for its soaring flight. Shelley uses the bird's flight as a metaphor for elevating the human spirit, emphasizing the potential of art and imagination to lift the soul to new heights. The poem also captures the beauty and grace of the skylark's flight, portrayed as a source of wonder and inspiration.

Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!

Bird thou never wert,

That from Heaven, or near it,

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The Windhover

by Gerard Manley Hopkins

‘The Windhover’ is an incredibly important poem that Hopkins considered to be his best. It uses symbolism to speak about God and faith.

'The Windhover' captures the excitement and thrill of flight as the speaker describes the bird's movements in the sky. The windhover's ability to fly effortlessly and soar high in the sky inspires awe and admiration. It also inspires the poet to think about God.

I caught this morning morning’s minion, king-

dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding

Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding

#10

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Failing and Flying

by Jack Gilbert

‘Failing and Flying’ by Jack Gilbert explores the idea that although something may ultimately fail, the process of arriving at that point may be a triumph.

The poem suggests in its first lines that everyone forgets that Icarus flew and that he was not failing as he fell but just coming to the end of his triumph. This symbolic use of flying suggests that even if we fall, we can still find value in the experience and learn from it rather than seeing it as a failure.

Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.

It's the same when love comes to an end,

or the marriage fails and people say

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The Flight of Two Geese

by Pat Ross

‘The Flight of Two Geese’ marvels at nature’s splendor and contemplates the divine design believed responsible for it.

Flight is central to the poem, with the geese’s soaring movements described in detail. Their grace and power exemplify freedom and mastery of their natural skills. The speaker marvels at their effortless maneuvering, turning flight into a metaphor for precision, strength, and the awe-inspiring possibilities of life in motion.

The winter air had settled in, today was cold Two geese slung low, below the clouds Then, spotted us and climbed up above us And sounded their presence and it echoed

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The Hag

by Robert Herrick

‘The Hag’ by Robert Herrick is short poem that imagines with haunting detail a witch’s emergence into the night.

Flying is a minor topic of the poem, as this is the preferred form of transportation of the hag, according to the speaker. Her flight is not inspiring or representative of boundless awe, but rather is rather seen as terrifying and unnatural. It is also what gives her such power over the world, as she is not restricted by gravity.