Eyes in the Air by Gilbert Frankau
Eyes in the Air is a novel by Gilbert Frankau that follows the story of a young pilot during World War I. The book explores themes of love, loss, and the horrors of war. It was published in 1934 and received critical acclaim for its vivid descriptions of aerial combat and its portrayal of the psychological effects of war on soldiers.
By Gilbert Frankau · First published 1934 · Genre: War Poetry, Historical Fiction, Adventure · 557 words
First lines
Our guns are a league behind us, our target a mile below, And there's never a cloud to blind us from the haunts of our lurking foe -- Sunk pit whence his shrapnel tore us, support-trench crest-concealed, As clear as the charts before us, his ramparts lie revealed.
His panicked watchers spy us, a droning threat in the void; Their whistling shells outfly us -- puff upon puff, deployed Across the green beneath us, across the flanking grey, In fume and fire to sheathe us and balk us of our prey.
What this Textopian page supports
Eyes in the Air is listed on Textopian as a short story by Gilbert Frankau, dated 1934 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Gilbert Frankau
- Date: 1934 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: War Poetry, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Military Fiction, Action
- Length: 557 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Eyes in the Air by Gilbert Frankau
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Eyes in the Air?
- How does this short story by Gilbert Frankau fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does War Poetry first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- War Poetry — The text is a poem that vividly describes aerial combat and military operations, focusing on themes of war and conflict.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and context suggest a historical period of warfare, likely World War I, providing a fictionalized account of real events.
- Adventure — The narrative involves high-stakes aerial maneuvers and the thrill of combat, characteristic of adventure stories.
- Military Fiction — The focus on military strategy, technology, and the perspective of soldiers aligns with military fiction.
Tags
drama · mystery · suspense · romance · adventure · psychological · thriller · literary · character study · conflict · relationships · identity