Poppies

Question 1

“of yellow bias binding around your blazer.”

Answer 1

The colour red juxtaposes with the yellow

Alliteration creates a detailed description of the blazer showing how focused the mum is on it illustrating their close relationship

There is an evident sense of pride when it comes to her son. This line also evokes the bustling nature of the mother fussing over her son

School uniform emphasises the son’s youth, but is the mother envisioning him in an army uniform

Question 2

“I rounded up as many white cat hairs as I could,”

Answer 2

Being unable to gather every cat hair from his uniform symbolises how the mother can’t fully protect him from everything

Concerned tone

Question 3

“Intoxicated”

Answer 3

The mother uses a term associated with adulthood/loss of innocence to show the change in her son

The son seems excited about the prospect of what is now before him. If it’s in reference to war he may not have thought of or understood the atrocities involved

Question 4

“an ornamental stitch. I listened hoping to hear…”

Answer 4

The adjective ‘ornamental’ in this metaphor suggests that her son being at peace only offers the slightest comfort to the mother (if any)

Caesura slows the pace of the poem and this, coupled with the alliteration, illustrates how the mother is trying to draw images, sounds and memories of her son back into her