Poppies

Primarily, the poem “Poppies”, by Jane Weir, depicts a mother who is remembering her son who has been killed in action. There is use of a non-chronological structure and the use of the past and present tenses: “after you’d gone… this is where is has lead me”. This non-chronological structure that constantly shifts from the past to the present tense symbolises how the poet is remembering past events when her son was alive. The poem switches from her last memory of her son to visiting the war memorial. Even within this memory, she remembers moments from when he was a young boy, supported by “play at being Eskimos like we did when you were little”. Moreover, the shift in time reflects the different ways in which the mother remembers and grieves for her lost son. Furthermore, the first and second person pronouns, such as “you” and “me”, convey how the speaker is trying to make a connection with her lost son. The speaker is therefore, directly addressing her son and by doing so, is keeping his memory alive.

Subsequently, the language in the poem reflects that of military use: “reinforcements” and “disrupting blockade” represent conflict and furthermore, colourful and textural imagery evokes within the reader a deeper understanding of the destructive nature of war; “crimped petals”, “yellow bias” and “spasms of paper red” support the colourful imagery used by the poet. The metaphors used by the speaker, moreover, show how the mother cannot escape from an awareness of her son’s violent death: “spasms” and “bandaged” suggest that the son’s death was exceedingly heartless and brutal. The speaker’s memories enable her to maintain a connection with her son but she is unable to avoid think of injury and death. The use of colours and texture ...

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...g through and the enjambment on the first three lines signifies this breakthrough and flow of raw emotion.

Finally, the link to Armistice Sunday shows how long poppies have been a symbol of remembrance “three days before Armistice Sunday”. For almost a century, they have been used as a memorial to our war dead. This suggests a hint of regret and sadness that there are still young men making this ultimate sacrifice for their country. The theme of bravery links to those who fight for their country but also those who are left behind waiting for the return of their loves ones or dealing with loss. The mournful tone is emphasised in the final stanza as the reader is reminded that there are many names inscribed on war memorials across the country: “I traced the inscriptions on the war memorial” suggests that indeed, the speaker’s son is just one of many who have died.