Who is John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

John Gillespie Magee Jr. (9 June 1922 – 11 December 1941) was a World War II Anglo-American Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot and war poet, who wrote the sonnet "High Flight". He was killed in an accidental mid-air collision over England in 1941.

Early life

John Gillespie Magee was born in Shanghai, China, to an American father and a British mother, who both worked as Anglican missionaries. His father, John Magee Sr., was from a family of some wealth and influence in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Magee Senior chose to become an Episcopal priest and was sent as a missionary to China. Whilst there he met his future wife, Faith Emmeline Backhouse, who came from Helmingham in Suffolk and was a member of the Church Missionary Society. Magee's parents married in 1921,...
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John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Poems

  • High Flight
    Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
    And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
    Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
    of sun-split clouds,-and done a hundred things...
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Top 10 most used topics by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Earth 1 High 1 Split 1 Easy 1 Silent 1 Mind 1 Face 1 Long 1 Flight 1 God 1


John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Quotes

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Comments about John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Charles35093463: 'high flight' by john gillespie magee jr.
Janalynvoigt: john gillespie magee, jr. - author of the poem "high flight"
Janalynvoigt: john gillespie magee, jr. - author of the poem "high flight"
Votebrevard: today, we remember the crew of the space shuttle challenger. an interesting fact, the back of the marker for the 7 astronauts buried at the arlington national cemetery features a poem "high flight," written by royal canadian air force pilot john gillespie magee, jr. in 1941.
Mchopowick: john gillespie magee jr. wrote “high flight” in 1941, with the memorable words, “i have slipped the surly bonds of earth…and touched the face of god”.
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We're hiking along at a two-forty pace
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And our cheeks pale and drawn every minute we dash,
And the goal that we 're after is merely more cash.

We 're out for the money, the greenbacks and gold,
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