High Flight
By worldwise1
@worldwise1 (14885)
United States
January 31, 2008 12:56am CST
For virtually all of my youth the last thing I heard and watched at night before I turned off the TV was the recitation of the poem "High Flight." At one time I could recite the entire poem because it touched me so deeply that I felt I had to know it. Lately it has been on my mind quite a lot, so I decided to find out more about it. I learned that the author was a young aviator who got the idea for the poem while flying at 30,000 ft. His name was John Gillespie Maghee, Jr., and he fought in the battle of Britain. Although he died a short time after writing the poem, he left a beautiful piece of work for all of us to treasure because it is relevant now as it was then. I found a copy at this link:
www.greataviationquotes.com
3 people like this
3 responses
@pismeof (855)
• United States
1 Feb 08
Wise1,It is awfully funny that you should bring up the "High Flight" poem.
For some darn reason that popped into my head a few weeks ago.It's been about thirty years at least since the last time I'd heard it.Like you.. I'd listen to it each evening as the television station would do it's sign-off.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
7 Feb 08
I meant to say that I had that memory as well. I thought it might have been for us because we lived very near an AirForce base.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
4 Feb 08
Yes, pismeof, it is deeply ingrained in my memory to the point that I think of it often -especially with our being at war. I had to correct the link I gave. Sorry about that. There is also a site where you can go and hear the actual reading of the poem by the original narrator.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
4 Feb 08
I love Longfellow, Aurone, and I even had a book of his poems at one time but they got lost in one of the many moves I've made over the years.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
4 Feb 08
I had to make a correction on the link I gave, Aurone. You will find the correct one in my comments on suspenseful's response.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
1 Feb 08
The link did not work. I will look for it later. I was born during World War II in 1943 and my grandmother and mother told how that I sleep in the dresser drawer, and my mother told me how she had missed getting blown up because the bus was late. So I am interested in the Battle of Britain.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
4 Feb 08
Sorry about the link, suspenseful. Here is the correct link:
http://www.skygod.com/quotes/highflight.html
