Poppies Flashcards
Who wrote poppies and when
Jane weir 2005
Summary of poppies
The poem tells the story of a mother’s experience of watching her son go off to war. The poem shows the effect of war on those left behind.
Key themes of poppies
Effect of war of those left behind, grief, parenthood, childhood, memories
Context for poppies
-women dealt with emotional labour during war - dealing with grief, waiting for news, and caring for wounded soldiers—was rarely acknowledged. In Poppies, Weir gives a voice to women’s suffering, particularly that of mothers who endure the silent agony of sending their children to war.
-Weir uses this symbolism to explore personal grief in contrast to public commemoration. While nations collectively honor fallen soldiers, Poppies shifts the focus to a mother’s personal mourning, reminding the reader that war leaves deep scars not just on the battlefield, but also in the homes of those left behind.
Structure and form of poppies
-Poppies is written in free verse, meaning it does not follow a regular meter or rhyme scheme. This mirrors the mother’s emotional state—her grief is unstructured and unpredictable, much like her thoughts and memories throughout the poem. The lack of rhyme also makes the poem feel more natural and conversational, reinforcing its personal and reflective tone.
- The poem frequently shifts between past and present, reflecting the way memories of a lost loved one surface unexpectedly. This blurring of time reinforces how grief keeps people trapped in the past, unable to fully separate memory from reality.
Key quotes of poppies
‘The world overflowing like a treasure chest ‘
‘my stomach busy making tucks, darts, pleats”
‘I listened hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind’
‘the dove pulled freely against the sky an ornamental stitch’
Analyse quote ‘the world overflowing like a treasure chest’
–phrase contains a simile which suggests that the son sees the world as a place of opportunity, adventure and excitement, implying that the son views his departure as a thrilling journey rather than a dangerous mission. This perspective contrasts sharply with the mother’s apprehension, as she knows that war is not a glamorous adventure but a brutal reality. This highlights the generational gap between the mothers protective instincts and the sons youthful idealism.
- metaphor subtly critiques the way war can be glorified, particularly for young men who are drawn in by ideas of honor and duty without fully understanding the consequences. The mother’s perspective in the poem challenges the glorification of war by showing the personal grief and sacrifice that occurs beyond the battlefield.
Analyse quote ‘my stomach busy making tucks, darts, pleats”
-it is a metaphor for the way her emotions are tightening and contorting under the weight of her son’s departure. This suggests physical manifestations of anxiety, as if her grief is being stitched into her very being. The use of textile-related words reflects her struggle to contain her emotions, mirroring the way fabric is manipulated and structured.
-personification is used as the stomach is described as “busy” suggesting that the mothers body is acting independently of her conscious control and her body is physically reposting to her emotions reinforcing the depth of her pain
-The imagery of sewing also serves as symbolism for the mother’s desire to hold things together emotionally , This reinforces the idea of suppressed grief, as the mother attempts to contain her pain rather than expressing it openly.
Analyse quote ‘I listened hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind’
-enjambement is used in this line mirroring the mothers ongoing grief and longing suggesting that her emotions are uncontrollable, the lack of a full stop at the end of the line also implies that her yearning for her son is never-ending, reinforcing the idea that loss is not a singular moment but a continuous experience.
-the phrase “catching on the wind” is a metaphor that suggests the fleeting nature of memory and the mother’s inability to hold onto the past. Wind is an uncontrollable, intangible force, much like time, which moves forward despite the mother’s desire to remain connected to her son’s childhood. The word “catching” implies an attempt to grasp something elusive, symbolizing the mother’s struggle to hold onto the presence of her son despite his absence
-the playground is symbolic of childhood innocence and a time when the mother could protect and care for her son, she is now powerless to shield him from harm, the contrast between the playground and the battlefield is deeply poignant—one is a place of laughter and play, while the other is a site of violence and destruction.
Analyse quote “ the dove pulled freely against the sky an ornamental stitch “
-metahpr
-the dove brings connotations associated with peace and purity but in this context it can symbolise the sons departure and his spirit. The phrase “pulled freely” suggests a paradox—while the dove is free, there is also a sense of resistance, implying that freedom comes at a cost. This mirrors the mother’s emotions; although she knows she must let her son go, she feels an internal pull, unable to fully release him.
-Historically, women have been expected to ‘hold things together’ at home while men went off to fight. This metaphorical stitching of life and emotions reflects the unseen emotional labor that women undertake in times of conflict.
