Jeffery Day
Have you ever sat in crystal space, enjoying the sensations
of an eagle hovered high above the earth,
gazing down on man’s ridiculous and infantile creations
and judging them according to their worth?
Have you looked upon a basin small enough to wash your face in,
with a few toys-ships collected by the shore,
and then realised with wonder that if those toys go under
nine tenths of Britain’s navy is no more?
Have you seen a khaki maggot crawling down a thread of cotton –
the route march of a regiment or so?
Have you seen the narrow riband, unimportant, half-forgotten
that tells you that the Thames is far below?
Have you glanced with smiling pity at the world’s most famous city,
a large grey smudge that barely strikes the eye?
Would you like to see things truly and appreciate them duly?
Well when do it, damn you, do it: learn to fly!
Have you left the ground in murkiness, all clammy, grey, and soaking,
and struggled through the dripping, dirty white/
Have you seen the blank sides closing in and felt that you were choking,
and then leapt into a land of blazing light
where the burnished sun is shining on the clouds’ bright, silver lining,
a land where none but fairy feet have trod,
where the splendour nearly blinds you and the wonder of it binds you,
and you know you are in heaven, close to God?
Have you tumbled from the sky until your wires were shrilly screaming,
and watched the earth go spinning round about?
Have you felt the hard air beat your face until your eyes were streaming?
Have you turned the solar system inside out?
Have you seen the earth rush to meet you and the fields spread out to greet you,
and flung them back to have another try?
Would it fill you with elation to be boss of all creation?
Well then do it, damn you, do it; learn to fly!
Have you fought a dummy battle, diving, twisting, pirouetting,
at a lighting speed that takes away your breath?
Have you been so wildly thrilled that you have found yourself forgetting
that it’s practice, not a battle to the death?
Have you hurtled low through narrow, tree-girt spaces like an arrow –
seen things grow and disappear like pricked balloons?
Would you feel the breathless joys of it and hear the thrilling noise of it
the swish, the roar, the ever-changing tunes?
Have you chased a golden sunbeam down a gold and silver alley,
with pink and orange jewels on the floor?
Have you raced a baby rainbow round a blue and silver valley,
where purple calves throw back the engine’s roar?
Have you seen the lights that smoulder on a cloud’s resplendent shoulder
standing out before a saffron-coloured sky?
Would you be in splendid places and illimitable spaces?
Welll then do it, damn you, do it; learn to fly!
© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes
Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem is an energetic, whimsical, and almost surreal exploration of flight, freedom, and perspective. At its core, it’s a celebration of the exhilaration that comes from breaking free of earthly constraints and soaring into the skies — a metaphor for both physical and mental liberation. The speaker repeatedly urges the reader to “learn to fly,” both literally and figuratively, positioning flight as the ultimate form of experience and understanding. The poem moves between lofty ideas and grounded, practical observations, creating a contrast that mirrors the tension between the mundane and the extraordinary.
From the outset, the poem sets a tone of critical distance. The speaker asks, “Have you ever sat in crystal space, enjoying the sensations of an eagle hovered high above the earth,” positioning the reader in an elevated, almost godlike viewpoint. The speaker’s description of “man’s ridiculous and infantile creations” reveals a certain disdain for human affairs, framed as small and trivial in comparison to the vastness and beauty of nature. This sets the stage for a meditation on perspective: from the heights of the eagle’s flight, everything below seems diminished, even absurd.
The poem continues with playful, almost absurd imagery, such as the “khaki maggot crawling down a thread of cotton” or the tiny basin used for washing one’s face. These seemingly mundane objects are juxtaposed with grander concepts like “Britain’s navy,” subtly poking fun at the overinflated sense of importance people assign to worldly powers. The recognition that “nine tenths of Britain’s navy is no more” when these toys go under highlights the fragility and insignificance of human creations, seen from a higher, more detached viewpoint. This sense of detachment is underscored by the speaker’s repeated question: “Have you ever seen…?” which leads the reader through various scenarios that range from the mundane to the extraordinary.
The language of the poem is informal, even brash at times — the speaker implores, “damn you, do it; learn to fly!” The directness of the command provides a sense of urgency, pushing the reader to engage with the idea of flight as an act of liberation, of breaking out of the limits imposed by everyday life. There’s an almost playful rebellion in the way the speaker presents the idea of flying, urging the reader to embrace it with no hesitation. The poem is less about the mechanics of flying than it is about the philosophy of experiencing life from a different angle, where everything seems to take on new meaning and wonder.
As the poem moves forward, the focus shifts to the thrilling aspects of flight itself — the “burnished sun,” the “blazing light,” the “cloud’s bright, silver lining.” These images of light and color evoke a sense of transcendence, as if flying offers a glimpse of a divine or heavenly world. The speaker even goes as far as suggesting that, in these moments of flight, one might feel close to God. This is not just about physical liberation, but about a mental or spiritual freedom that comes with seeing the world from a new perspective. The sheer joy and awe in the descriptions suggest that flight is not merely a technical achievement, but a profound personal transformation.
The poem is also rich with sensory imagery, which amplifies the excitement and intensity of flying. The description of diving and twisting in the air, feeling the “hard air beat your face” and the “solar system inside out,” captures the physical thrill of movement. The experience of speed, space, and breathlessness comes through vividly, and the reader can almost feel the rush of adrenaline that the speaker is describing. This intensity contrasts sharply with the more introspective reflections on the insignificance of human endeavors and the beauty of the natural world.
There’s a notable shift in the poem’s tone as the speaker progresses through the imagery of flying. The playful exuberance of the earlier sections gives way to more spiritual or mystical overtones in the later stanzas. The speaker’s descriptions of chasing “a golden sunbeam” or racing “a baby rainbow” through “a blue and silver valley” suggest a kind of dreamlike, otherworldly experience. These are not just physical flights but metaphors for the pursuit of beauty, joy, and freedom — things that go beyond the mundane, into the realm of the fantastic.
The repetition of the command, “learn to fly,” is crucial to the poem’s message. It’s not just about the literal act of flying, but about the idea of taking a step beyond one’s ordinary life, to embrace new possibilities and perspectives. The speaker insists that the reader *must* experience this freedom, suggesting that the act of flying (or metaphorically, the act of breaking free) is a vital part of human existence. It’s an invitation to experience life in its fullest, most unencumbered form.
Overall, the poem is a call to action, urging the reader to push beyond the limits of earthly concerns and experience life from a higher vantage point. The speaker suggests that flying offers more than just a physical thrill — it provides a new way of seeing the world, one that transcends the ordinary and connects us to something more profound and universal. Through vivid imagery, humor, and an energetic tone, the poem invites readers to abandon their worries, embrace the freedom that flight symbolizes, and experience the world in its fullest, most awe-inspiring form.