Poppies

Question 1

What are three key quotes from this poem

Answer 1

“Gelled blackthorns”
“Turned into felt, slowly melting”
“I traced the inscriptions”

Question 2

What does “gelled blackthorns” show

Answer 2

Child is grown up, hard, has his own protective barrier, mother jokingly mocking him for his independence

Biblical, sacrifice for the country

Question 3

What does “turned into felt, slowly melting” show

Answer 3

Mixed feelings, duty but death, caesura shows her dedication but missed opportunity

Metaphor for grief, son is her everything, has to learn to live with the fact he’s gone

Question 4

Whats the form of the poem and what does it show

Answer 4

Dramatic monologue
Mother expressing the overwhelming feeling she has toward her son, an under represented view of someone who has dealt with effects of war

Question 5

What does the structure show

Answer 5

Cyclical, reality always brings you back to memories
Enjambment, uncertainty she feels all the time
Shift to reality towards the end, melancholy, feel how the mother feels, empathy for her

Question 6

What’s some context for this poem

What was the motive

Answer 6

Textile business, ideas into writing, creative outlet to distract mind
Close with her own son, imagined losing him, a microcosm recreating the feeling of many mothers during the war

Wanted to show effects of war from an underrepresented perspective

Question 7

What does “I traced the inscriptions” show

Answer 7

Delicate, she is familiar with name in stone, her son or making sure her sons name isn’t there
Helps her to connect with the memories of her son
Mothers fragility, emotional vulnerability