Poppies

Question 1

Historical context

Answer 1

Armistice Sunday began as a way of marking the end of the first world war in 1918 it was set up so we could remember the hundreds of ordinary men who’d been killed in WW1.Today it is used to remember the solider that died in all wars
Ancient Egyptian doctors would give their patients poppies seed to relive pain suggest she needs to numbs her pain in terms of her son leaving

Question 2

Domestic

Theme

Answer 2

“SPASM OF PAPER RED,DISTRUCPTING A BLOCKADE OF YELLOW BIAS” very domestic image with a war image which reflects how the mother is seeing all of these ideas suffering in everyday life.The idea of conflict overwhelm her.Allteration of b also a plosive sound to show the type of situation her son is going in
“SPASM”-(noun)not in control of her son life likewise son not in control of his fate
life has been dictated by war&conflict

Question 3

Women and conflict

Answer 3

“REINFORCEMENT”
military word
phycology-a reward or punishment
mum mentally and emotionally torturing herself for letting him go

Question 4

Form

Answer 4

Dramatic monologue
Writing in character addressing a silent listener “you” the son,the solider
emphasizes how this poem is about the pain caused for the often ignored mother
elegy-poem of mourning

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

free verse-no organised rhyme scheme(makes it melancholic)-reflects the chaotic impact of conflict on those at home it lacks control or organisation because they life is chaotic due to the completely terrifying thoughts about losing loved ones at war
Caesura on line 17-18 reflects how the mother is breaking emotionally and its emphasized through a stanza break

Question 6

Ambiguity

Theme

Answer 6

“bandaged”-verb pain is made clear
“All my words..turned into felt”-finds it hard to speak
“bust making tucks, darts, pleats”-listing -stomach knots
suggest the speaker is struggling those emotions that she fought to conceal from her son.

Question 7

Women and conflict

Themes

Answer 7

“Crimped”- verb literally means restrain or inhibit,hinder
mothers feels restrain by the loss of her son it is impeded on her life
son feels restrain by the protectiveness of the mother
reminds the reader many women have been in her situation

Question 8

BRAVERY VS WEEKNESS

Answer 8

“STELLED” “SOFTENING”
juxtaposition
syntax places steel before softening-indicates mother is left fragile and tries to cover her emotions refer to “WISHBONE”
A wishbone’ is designed to give good luck, which contrasts the tragic foreshadowing of the previous stanza. Its fragility is also important as it signifies her emotional vulnerability.
“RESISTED”-resist the weakness and be brave tone of regret showing affection-possibly last chance she will get
“I WAS BRAVE”-hammers the point that war has a huge impact on those left at home.”WAS”past she now isnt because of her son leaving

Question 9

Juxtaposition

Answer 9

“LITTLE” “PLAYGROUND” “ESKIMOS”-lexical field of innocence
vs
“AMISTICE” “WAR”-lexical field of military death of innocence and the son’s life