Poppies

Question 1

poet

Answer 1

jane weir

Question 2

context

Answer 2

had 2 boys, lived in northern Ireland. She was a textile designer, inspired by the mom of William Owen.
It’s in the collection commissioned by Duffy “exit wounds”

Question 3

“three days before Armistice Sunday”

Answer 3

Opening includes tone of remembrance, present from the start. Her son is partecipating to the memorial of war victims “war graves”and idea that he gets killed later show the cyclic nature of war

Question 4

form

Answer 4

takes form of dramatic monologue.
free verse. (outpouring of emotion and conciousness)
second person narrative howeve no response from the son creating an idea of loss and death

Question 5

structure

Answer 5

chatotic structure of free verse reflects the narrator’s lack of control over her feelings as well as the events she has endured. shows how war has effects not only on the battlefields but much further away.

Question 6

“without a winter coat or reinforcements of scarf, gloves”

Answer 6

domestic imagery with violent military metaphors. reinforcements might suggest suppport in facing the memorial of her son as it is difficult to face and accept reality

Question 7

“graze my nose across the tip of your nose”

Answer 7

maternal affection juxtaposed against the injury-like connotations in verb graze

Question 8

“I was brave”

Answer 8

opposes conventional ideas of bravery associated with fighting and risking life for the country and its sake. emotional suffering opposes to physical one, implying they’re as bad, mental effects worse than physical ones. despite the fear of losing she lets son go, metaphorically becomes an adult.

Question 9

“all my words flattened, rolled, turned into felt // slowly melting”

Answer 9

enjambant is a breaking of structure that resembles the emotional breaking of the mother, painful memories and yet loved.

Question 10

I listened, hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind

Answer 10

refers to past, nostalgic reminiscient, ends with sad metaphor.

Question 11

overflowing like a treasure chest

Answer 11

enjambant suggests emotions rolling out freely. simile used to show the new life of the son and the opportunities and paradoxcly the dangers , leaving a 2 way experience + valuable to the mother.

Question 12

“bendaged”

Answer 12

military and domestic language to convey the mother’s pain

Question 13

bedroom

Answer 13

mom can’t let him go, reminiscing in the place where she mothered him, its a symbol for his presence ongoing

Question 14

blackthorns of your hair

Answer 14

religion connotations as symbolic of Christ’s crown of thorns and his sacrifice, soldiers sacrifce to protect us.
metaphor for barbed wire in war

Question 15

theme

Answer 15

mother reminisces about boy’s childhood, poppies used as symbol for remembrance in 1921. mother frustrated angry and sad. fear of letting children go.
anxiety and pain for loss