Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Subjects:

Aeronautics, Exploration, Authorship, Astronomy, Heroism

People mentioned:

Frederick Gye

    The ode lauds the aeronauts [who have flown from Vauxhall Gardens in London over the English Channel to German territory] using superlative but jocular imagery, referring to them as 'Volatile spirits! Light mercurial humours!'. The poet requests: 'O give us soon your sky adventures truly, / With full particulars, correcting duly / All flying rumours!', and speculates drolly on the adventures of the aeronauts. (170) He enquires whether any were air-sick: 'P'rhaps Monck Mason / Was forc'd to have an air-pump in a bason?'. He speculates about their amusements in the balloon: 'did you listen, the first mortal ears / That ever drank the music of the spheres?'. (172) Perhaps they kept watch all night 'Marking the planets bright, / Like three more Airys, studying astronomy' (174). The poet considers that it was well-planned that they came down in German territory: 'For, if I read the prophesy aright, / You'll have the Eagle-Order for your flight, / And all be Von'd, because of your descent! (175).