High Flight

The famous aviation poem written in 1941 by 19-year-old Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee Jr, three months before he was killed.

Inscribed on his gravestone are the first and last lines from his poem:
"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth -
Put out my hand and touched the Face of God."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• high
• flight
• poem
• aviation
• john
• gillespie
• magee
• jr
• fighter
• pilot
• Spitfire
• World
• War
• Two
• poet
• Basil
• Poledouris
• language

[aflack]

Near Perfect video the only thing lacking is a tribute to a great poets tragic life cut short by war!

[songoftheopenroad]

@aflack Thanks for the compliment! About the poet - you could argue his life was cut short by war in a by-proxy or secondarily-caused sort of way, but the truth was (if I understand correctly) he died in a training accident; and military training accidents happen all the time, wartime or not.

[vaiaata]

This is a beautiful and sensitive illumination of this poem. I have composed a setting of this poem for choir and saxophone that was described by the brother of the poet as the most moving he has heard. This piece was recently taken on tour by an Indiana choir. I have not yet uploaded a recording of their fine performance but was wondering whether you consider making a similar illumination of that work. Please contact me if your are interested. Many thanks...

[songoftheopenroad]

@vaiaata I would love to listen to the piece, and if it inspires me as the poem did, I would love to dedicating some time to putting it to pictures, and maybe we could discuss whether you'd want it to follow a specific theme, or whether you'd like me to pick the theme wholly on how the music inspires me to interpret it. I'm honored you'd ask.

[Helismoke]

Sir, perfect video and classic pictures! You may know that John Gillespie Magee, Jr was 19 when he penned this ode to flight, and was killed shortly after. I was 19 when I was sent to Viet Nam to fly helos, and I carried this poem with me so that I would always remember why I flew.

God Bless.

[MaxTontarra]

beautiful.... just watch it and dream

[somsvideoman]

My brother, a private pilot and retired Major in the US Air Force, would often tell me he "slipped the surly bonds of Earth" after flying somewhere. He was killed in a crash Jan. 22, 2012 and I have placed a link to this video on my Facebook page as a tribute to his memory. Beautiful treatment by you, illustrating this favorite poem of mine (and his). And the music seems written for it, also. Great choice!

[Wawnie]

Beautiful. Narration by the right voice would make this even more special. Great work.

[crewdawg2323]

"when you see mighty jet aircraft soar across the sky its the grease stained man with a wrench who put it there!" - the forgotten mechanic

[mwertyuio1]

i had to memorize this poem for home work.....BEST HOMEWORK EVER! i really enjoy this poem

[dasteufelhund]

what is the background music for this wonderful poem?

[wrnmichele]

I love this wordless version! seems to capture the essence and lets us use our imagination... LOVELY!!!

[davethesack]

Earth bound misfit,warrier,I...4K hrs.Mission tasked.Beautiful.My Grey lady 660139

[MrAirjim]

as a young boy i read a book with this poem and loved it ever since,my dad a pilot and i wanted to be and did but not in the air force but privet i call feel what this young raf pilot felt sorry he didn't live to get the full glory of this poem. beautiful and touching a msgt usaf retired