First Flight (U. A. Fanthorpe)

First Flight by U. A. Fanthorpe explores the speaker's thoughts and experiences during their first airplane journey. The speaker reflects on their discomfort with flying, comparing it to the sensation of low tire pressure in a car. They describe the sudden acceleration of the plane and their attempts to distract themselves with thoughts of mundane activities. As the plane ascends, the speaker observes the landscape below and contemplates the nature of their journey, juxtaposing familiar sights with the novelty of flying. The poem concludes with a reflection on the transitory nature of air travel and the isolation of being high above the earth. You can read the poem below and find analysis further down the page.

First Flight by U. A. Fanthorpe

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

This is rather a short hop for me

 Read Guardians, discuss secretaries,

 Business lunches. I crane for the last of dear

 I’m doing it just to say I’ve done it

 Familiar England, motorways, reservoir, 

Building sites. Nimble tiny-disc, a sun

 Tell us when we get to water

 Runs up the porthole and vanishes.

 Under us the broad meringue kingdom

 The next lot of water’ll be the Med

Of cumulus, bearing the crinkled tangerine stain

 That light spreads on an evening sea at home.

 You don’t need an overcoat, but

 It’s the sort of place where you need

 A pullover. Know what I mean?

We have come too high for history.

 Where we are now deals only with tomorrow,

 Confounds the forecasters, dismisses clocks.

 My last trip was Beijing. Know where that is?

 Beijing. Peking, you’d say. Three weeks there, I was.

Peking is wrong. If you’ve been there

 You call it Beijing, like me. Go on, say it.

 Mackerel wigs dispense the justice of air.

 At this height nothing lives. Too cold. Too near the sun

Analysis:

Title Significance:

The title, "First Flight," sets the scene for the poem and indicates that it will explore the speaker's experience of flying for the first time.

Setting:

The poem is set aboard an airplane during the speaker's first flight. The setting is characterised by the sensation of flight and the unfamiliarity of being high above the ground.

Imagery and Sensory Language:

Fanthorpe employs vivid imagery and sensory language to evoke the sensations of flying, such as the movement of the plane and the view from the window. The imagery creates a sense of unease and disorientation, reflecting the speaker's discomfort with flying.

Structure:

The poem consists of several stanzas of varying lengths, with irregular line lengths and no consistent rhyme scheme. The structure mirrors the disjointed thoughts and experiences of the speaker as they navigate their first flight.

Tone and Mood:

The tone is reflective and introspective, with a sense of discomfort and apprehension about the experience of flying. The mood is uneasy and disoriented, reflecting the speaker's uncertainty and discomfort with the unfamiliar surroundings.

Themes:

Discomfort with the Unknown: The poem explores the theme of discomfort with the unknown, as the speaker grapples with the unfamiliar sensations of flying.

Transience and Change: The poem reflects on the transitory nature of air travel and the changing landscape below, highlighting the fleeting nature of human experiences.

Isolation and Disconnect: The poem touches on the theme of isolation and disconnect, as the speaker feels removed from the familiar comforts of home and the solidity of the ground.

Language and Diction:

Fanthorpe's language is straightforward and conversational, with an emphasis on everyday language and colloquial expressions. The use of enjambment and fragmented sentences adds to the sense of disorientation and uncertainty in the poem.

Conclusion:

First Flight by U. A. Fanthorpe is a reflective poem that explores the speaker's discomfort and apprehension during their first airplane journey. Through vivid imagery and introspective language, Fanthorpe captures the disorienting experience of flying and the sense of isolation and disconnect that accompanies it.

You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Time and Place Poetry Anthology Poems here.