Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Against Flight" by Rita Dove is a contemplative poem that explores the paradoxical allure and alienation of the idea of flight. Dove uses the metaphor of flight not just as a physical act, but as a symbol for escape, transcendence, and the loss of earthly connections. The poem delves into the emotional and existential ramifications of rising above the familiar terrestrial existence, questioning what one gains—and loses—by ascending to such heights.

The poem begins with a common human desire: "Everyone wants to go up—but no one can imagine what it's like when the earth smoothes out, begins / to curve into its own implacable symbol." This opening sets a tone of ironic detachment, juxtaposing the universal yearning to "go up" with the disorienting reality of achieving such a perspective. The earth transforming into a "symbol" suggests that from such a distance, our home planet—and perhaps our very lives—become abstracted, losing their detail and emotional resonance.

As the poem progresses, Dove addresses the sensory dislocation associated with high altitudes: "Once you've adjusted to chilled footsoles, / what to do with your hands? Can so much wind be comfortable?" These lines highlight the physical discomforts and awkward adjustments necessary when one is removed from one's natural environment. The questions posed serve to emphasize the unnaturalness and isolation of being aloft, adrift from human activities and concerns.

The absence of earthly pleasures and experiences becomes a central theme: "No sense / looking around when you can see everywhere: There'll be no more clouds / worth reshaping into daydreams, no more daybreaks to make you feel larger than life." The ability to see everywhere paradoxically results in a lack of focus—nothing specific to cherish or contemplate. The loss of simple joys, like finding shapes in clouds or experiencing the optimism of a sunrise, underscores the emotional void left by detachment from the world below.

Dove further explores what is missed when one is separated from cultural activities and communal experiences: "no eagle envy or fidgeting for a better view from the eighteenth row in the theater... no more theater, for that matter, and no concerts, no opera or ballet." This list of absences highlights the richness of life on the ground—arts and entertainment that bring depth and meaning to human existence, now lost in the realm of flight.

The only companions in the sky are "birds, / who never look you straight in the face," and "at the lower altitudes, / monarch butterflies—brilliant genetic engines / churning toward resurrection in a foreign land." These creatures, though beautiful and awe-inspiring, are indifferent to human concerns, emphasizing the loneliness of the flyer. The reference to monarchs, with their instinctual migrations, contrasts sharply with human flight, which lacks such purpose or destination.

The conclusion of the poem presents a stark image of vulnerability and estrangement: "Each evening finds you whipped to fringes, obliged to lie down in a world of strangers, beyond perdition or pity— / bare to the stars, buoyant in the sweet sink of earth." The nightly return to earth is not a homecoming but an exposure, a surrender to an alien landscape, devoid of comfort or familiarity.

"Against Flight" by Rita Dove ultimately serves as a meditation on the limits of human ambition and the inherent value of our earthly ties. It questions the cost of transcendence and reminds us of the profound attachments and simple pleasures that define our humanity. Dove's use of rich imagery and poignant contrasts makes this poem a profound exploration of the balance between the desire to ascend and the need to belong.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Collected_Poems_1974_2004/fRyZCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

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