The Kites — Class 6 English (Poorvi)
"I wish I were small and light as air, I would climb on a kite and sail up there."
1. About the Poem
This is the second chapter of Unit 5: Culture and Tradition in the Poorvi textbook. A short, buoyant poem that captures the universal childhood fantasy of flying. The speaker watches kites in the sky — "like coloured birds" — and wishes to be small enough to ride one, looking down at the park and rooftops below.
Why This Poem
- Celebrates a simple, timeless joy: watching kites fly
- Connects to Indian culture — kite-flying is a beloved tradition, especially during festivals like Makar Sankranti
- Imaginative and playful — pure childlike wonder
- Excellent for visualisation and creative writing
2. The Poem (from NCERT Poorvi Textbook)
Up in the air See the kites fly, Like coloured birds In the wind-whipped sky.
I wish I were small And light as air, I would climb on a kite And sail up there.
Then I would drift upon The paper wings, And hear the songs That the wild wind sings.
What fun it would be To look right down, Over the park And the rooftops of town.
The people below Would stand and stare, And wish they were me High, high in the air.
3. The Poem Stanza by Stanza
| Stanza | What the Speaker Sees or Imagines |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kites flying "like coloured birds" in a windy sky — a real scene |
| 2 | A wish: to be small enough to ride a kite |
| 3 | The fantasy deepens: drifting on "paper wings," hearing the wind's songs |
| 4 | The view from above: park, rooftops — the world made tiny |
| 5 | The final joyful thought: people below staring up, WISHING they could be the one flying |
4. Literary Devices
| Device | Example |
|---|---|
| Simile | "Like coloured birds" — comparing kites to birds |
| Imagery | "Wind-whipped sky," "paper wings," "rooftops of town" |
| Repetition | "High, high in the air" — emphasises the height and joy |
| Rhyme | AABB pattern: fly/sky, air/there, upon/sings, down/town, stare/air |
5. Kite-Flying in Indian Culture
Kite-flying (patangbaazi) is deeply woven into Indian tradition:
- Makar Sankranti (January): The most famous kite-flying festival — especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The sky fills with colourful kites.
- Independence Day (15 August): Kites in the tricolour — a symbol of freedom.
- Historical Significance: Kites were used in ancient India for scientific experiments and military signalling.
- Modern Day: International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad draws kite-flyers from around the world.
6. Important Vocabulary
- WIND-WHIPPED: blown and tossed by strong wind
- DRIFT: to move slowly and gently through the air
- PAPER WINGS: the paper surface of a kite (like the wings of a bird or plane)
- WILD WIND: strong, untamed wind — personified as "singing"
7. Activities
Activity 1: Recitation
Read the poem aloud. Notice the rhythm — it's light and bouncy, like a kite itself dancing in the wind.
Activity 2: Visualisation and Drawing
Close your eyes and imagine the scene. Then draw what you see: the kites, the park, the rooftops, the people looking up. Colour your kites in the brightest colours you have.
Activity 3: Creative Writing
The poem imagines riding a kite. What would YOU like to ride or fly on? A bird? A cloud? A paper plane? Write a short poem (6-8 lines) about your fantasy flight.
Activity 4: Discussion
Have you ever flown a kite? If yes, describe the experience. If no, would you like to? Why is kite-flying less common today than it used to be?
8. Conclusion
"The Kites" is pure joy distilled into five short stanzas. There's no moral, no lesson, no villain — just a speaker watching kites and wishing to be among them, riding "paper wings" and hearing "the songs that the wild wind sings."
In a unit about Culture and Tradition, this poem reminds us that some traditions are not about grand crafts or ancient arts. Sometimes tradition is simply this: standing in a field on a windy day, holding a string, watching a kite dance against the sky — and wishing, just for a moment, that you could fly too.
