On September 24, 1852, Henri Giffard flew the first powered and controlled airship, a steam-engine driven dirigible, over Paris from the Hippodrome to Trappes, a distance of about 17 miles. This was a major advancement over the simple balloon, as it allowed for directed navigation. Giffard's invention proved that a craft could be both dirigible and powered, overcoming the problem of wind

The ability to navigate the skies changed the cultural and literary symbolism of flight from a random ascent to a controlled journey, often used by poets to represent new agency and mastery over nature. This development appeared in utopian and speculative literature of the era, inspiring visions of aerial travel and commerce. It gave a new, more controlled aspect to the metaphor of flight in poetry.