The Cyclist By Louis MacNeice

In this poem of three stanzas and written in free verse the poet describes the experience of a young boy riding a bike and enjoying the last few moments of summer before having to go back to class again. There is a strong sense of freedom, happiness and excitement. It is both a celebration of this moment a representation of the journey through life and potentially also the mourning of the loss of his childhood (freedom).

Throughout the poem there is no rhyme scheme or specific form. This could represent the thrill and excitement of the moment. It isn't monotonous at all, there are new things and feelings waiting around every corner. It is unpredictable and there even could be a slight sense of confusion, a million things happening at the same time. It is all such a rush and happening so fast that you hardly have time to notice what is happening. It could also represent the messiness and confusion of life itself. The whole poem is written in the present tense, signifying that this boy is really living the moment and that he isn't really thinking or worrying about the future. In the first line the poet says 'freewheeling down the escarpment past the unpassing horse'. The onomatopoeic effect of freewheeling, which sounds like wind rushing past, immediately sucks us into the poem, we can almost hear the wind swoosh by. The reader can almost hear the rush of it, feel the adrenaline and even the wind's coolness on their skin (''cools the sweat of his neck''). By 'past the unpassing horse blazoned in chalk' the poet could mean the rocks, standing proudly and majestically just like a horse would. Blazoned connotes ideas of boasting, embellishing and proclaiming (proclaiming their beauty and power to the world). It emphasizes this idea of pride, especially as it is placed at the beginning of the line. Metaphorically this could also represent something that is always there, something which doesn't move and is always