Poppies

Question 1

Who was the poet that wrote poppies ? What is some important contextual information about her ?

Answer 1

Jane Wier
- textile designer and experienced the troubles

Question 2

What is the subject of the poem ?

Answer 2

Female perspective of war and the anxiety and pain of loss

Question 3

What is the context for this poem ?

Answer 3

Poppies
- remeberance of soldiers
- symbolic of remembrance

Question 4

What is the form of the poem ? Why

Answer 4

Dramatic monologue
- sence of overwhelming nostalgia throughout the poem as it’s almost a speech
- Singular speaker
- sons cannot speak and therefore there is implied death due to war
- pain caused for the often ignored parent is here expressed through the speaker

Question 5

How can we analyze the structure of the poem?

Answer 5

Caesura
Enjambment
Free verse

Question 6

How can we analyze the enjambment in the poem? Qoute, what and why

Answer 6

‘ all my world flattened, rolled turned into felt’
- metaphorical imagery and tri colon of sadness
- overwhelming feeling of strong emotions
- brake in structure shows this emotional brake

Question 7

How can we analyze the caesura in this poem ?

Answer 7

‘Slowly melting.’
- metaphoric imagery of emotional suffering
- we are forced to stop and focus on this and we are therefore forced into the position of the mother who is clearly overwhelmed by this

Question 8

How can we analyze the title ?

Answer 8

Poppies
- metonym of a soldier and life and here it holds deep significance to the mother and is symbolic of remeberance
- by titling the poem poppies the speaker conchs how the soldiers well-being is a major concern for her as it leads her life
- we are forced to consider the human loss in conflict

Question 9

How can we analyze the motif within the peom? What and why ?

Answer 9

Motif of birds
‘Song bird’ and ‘single dove’
- dove is a biblical allusion and connotes devastation but also Revolution and could be symbolic of her emotional battle
- implied potential loss of life due to her sons implied militaristic work
- the doce also represents freedom and stands as an acceptance of her sons choice to fight
- song bird released from cage subtly signifies setting him free and is an acceptance of aging