In 1895, Lord Kelvin, then President of the Royal Society, famously declared that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible. This statement reflected the prevailing skepticism about aviation technology at the time. However, it also underscored the challenges faced by early aviation pioneers and the eventual triumph of innovation that would lead to the development of successful aircraft.

Lord Kelvin's rejection of heavier-than-air flight in 1895 contrasted sharply with the aviation advancements that followed. This tension influenced modernist poetry, where themes of ambition and human limits were explored in the context of technological progress.