Unfortunately, after a few lines later the readers find out although the boy seems to be free, he is still restricted “between the horizon’s brackets” (line 6). “Brackets”, together with “chalk” in line 2, refers to tools in classroom and grammar lessons in school that keep on occurring in the cycling boy’s mind even during summer holidays. Here the boy appears to be in an insecure mood that makes him “grasp the [handlebars, as if it is] summer” (line 4), because he has only mere “five minutes” (line 7) that completely belong to him to enjoy. The happiness and pleasure brought by “freewheeling” now appear to be somewhat tragic, as we learn they will not last long.
The poem consists of 27 lines that are divided into three stanzas of varying lengths. If the first stanza is mainly devoted to the freedom of the cycling boy, then the second stanza’s purpose is to build up the summer atmosphere by using remarkable imagery. In line 11, the phrase “glaring, glaring white” creates a dazzling effect, reminding of the color of summer sun. The repetition of “glaring” emphasizes the brightness of the light but gives a sense of danger at the same time too, as it produces an image of a teacher glaring at the student for wasting his time on cycling rather than studying.
The heat in the summer time is further highlighted by the image of “the grass boil[ing] with grasshoppers” (line 13). The verb “boil”, that expresses the heat needed for liquid to turn into vapor, is so vivid that the readers can almost directly feel the incredibly high temperature. On the other hand, the image of grasshoppers being boiled alive by the heat seems too excessive and brutal, just like the “glaring, glaring white” light is too bright for people to look at. This exaggerated imagery reflects another restriction shown in the poem that positive things, such as warmth and light that all living creatures need in order to survive, can bring negative effects when being used without a limit.
The poem goes on to describe the pleasure the boys are experiencing during summer, whetter through cycling or skateboarding, which the poet illustrates as “surf[ing on] dust” (line 17) and “heat-wave” (line 15). The enjambment between the second and third stanza does not seem abrupt, on the contrary, it gives the reader a break to enjoy the moment of “hair thrown back” (line 16) by the wind. However, right after the imagery full of leisure portraying the boys “drink [summer] through closed eyelids” (line 20), MacNiece introduces another turning point in the poem. The “bell” (line 20) – obviously referring to the school bell – brings the poem back to the school theme.
The repetition of “left-right-left” (line 21 and 23) that describes the pedaling process at the end of the poem significantly contrasts the “freewheeling” at the beginning of cycling. The fact that the “the boy must pedal again” (line 22) and meanwhile remembering “his forgotten sentence” (line 21) indicates the joy the boy experiences in summer holiday will eventually fade away: he has to face the reality of schoolwork and start to study hard when the vacation ends.
The poem finishes by referring to the unchangeable movements of the “horse in the chalk” (line 24). The horse, although much slower than the bike, can be regarded as the ultimate symbol of freedom, as unlike human, particularly the boy whose school will soon start, it moves “calmly (repeated three times in line 25, 26 and 27) regardless of tenses and final clauses” (line 26). This last juxtaposition of human’s restrictions and animal’s freedom, together with various other literary devices used in this work, marks the final conclusion of this poem written by MacNiece: although we can experience joy and excitement in our lives, we can never truly be free.
