Poppies Flashcards
Give a quick summary of Poppies.
A mother recalls caring for her son and reminisces about his childhood before it is revealed that he is no longer there and it is implied that he has died in conflict.
How does the poem’s free verse structure affect its meaning?
- It mimics natural speech, making the emotions feel raw and personal.
- The lack of a strict rhyme scheme reflects the mother’s chaotic emotions and unstructured grief.
Where did Jane Weir live and when?
Northern Ireland during the troubles in the 1980’s.
How does Jane Weir’s family relate to her poem?
She has 2 sons which may have influenced her desire to explore what caused young boys to go to war and fight.
How does Jane Weir’s job relate to Poppies?
She was a textile designer which explains her use of related imagery.
What collection does Poppies come from?
“exit wounds” which was commissioned by Carol Ann Duffy.
What is the significance of Poppies?
Poppies grew in battlefields and became a symbol of remembrance in 1921, armistice Sunday also became a way to remember WW2. Weir uses these symbols to establish from the outset that the poem is an act of remembrance.
What is the poem’s form?
A dramatic monologue from a mother’s perspective, addressing her absent son.
What is the effect of enjambment in the poem?
It creates a sense of natural speech and overflowing emotions, mirroring the mother’s struggle to contain her feelings.
How does caesura contribute to the poem’s meaning?
It forces pauses in the middle of lines, reflecting hesitation, grief, and difficulty in speaking about loss.
How does the shifting time frame affect the poem?
The poem moves fluidly between past and present, showing how the mother’s memories and emotions are deeply intertwined.
How is Poppies similar to Kamikaze?
- The psychological effects of war. Weir shows how grief leads the narrator to processing blissful, domestic memories of having “selloptape bandaged around [her] hand” whereas Garland recounts the day the character’s “father embarked at sunrise”
- Both poems are focused on the unconventional victims of war, not those who went into battle themselves. This shows how far reaching the effects of violence are.
How does Poppies contrast to Kamikaze?
- In Poppies, the narrator’s physical loss is shown by the wistfil “I listened, hoping to hear your playground voice dancing in the wind.” Conversely in Kamikaze, the main character’s father is rejected by society rather than killed and she has to “live as though he never returned.” This shows even those not actually killed in war can have their lives ruined also.
How does the structure of Poppies compare to Remains?
Both use free verse, enjambment, and caesura to reflect trauma and fragmented memories, but Remains is more brutal and immediate, while Poppies is tender and reflective.
In what way does Poppies contrast with The Charge of the Light Brigade?
Poppies focuses on individual grief and loss, whereas Charge of the Light Brigade glorifies the heroism of soldiers.
How is memory used in Poppies and Kamikaze?
Both poems show how war affects families, with Poppies focusing on a mother’s grief and Kamikaze exploring shame and rejection.
“Sellotape bandaged around my hand”
- Imagery of mother removing hairs from son’s blazer is a maternal image; she cares deeply for him and wants to care for him.
- “Bandaged” is a subtle allusion to war imagery; suggestive of injury and wounds; possibly foreshadows son’s death in the
coming war, or hints that the mother fears her son being wounded. - On a deeper level, perhaps verb “bandaged” refers to mother feeling emotionally wounded; perhaps does not want son to
leave to go to war; the pain of his departure is comparable to bleeding out on the battlefield because she is so connected to
him. - Weir using poem to suggest that war does not just inflict pain on soldiers themselves; it inflicts unseen wounds on the people
they leave behind at home too.
“Gelled blackthorns of your hair”
- Mother resists running her hands through these, possibly hinting at some distance in the relationship; perhaps her son is
growing up and does not want his mother to overprotect him. - “Blackthorns” could further emphasise a strained relationship; thorns are associated with pain and blood, so perhaps the
mother feels wounded by the son’s unwillingness to let her be closer to him, both physically and on an emotional level. - Possible biblical allusion, since Jesus was given a crown of thorns on his journey to his crucifixion. Perhaps Weir comparing
the son to Jesus; both ultimately sacrifice themselves for a greater cause and are worth of remembrance. Weir perhaps hinting
that there is an inherent moral goodness in self-sacrifice.
“The world overflowing like a treasure chest”
- Simile “like a treasure chest” suggests that the son is impulsive and adventurous. “Treasure” has connotations of exploration
and action-packed escapades, so maybe the son only sees the opportunities of war, not the potential risks. In this sense, he is
naïve and perhaps blinded by factors such as propaganda that glorify the experience of a being a heroic soldier. - The verb “overflowing” hints at the idea of excess; perhaps the mother worries that her son is too full of optimism and hope;
these blind him to the darkness of war and make him susceptible to great harm. On the other hand, “overflowing” creates idea
of something that doesn’t fit; maybe son feels he has outgrown the constraints of living at home and wants the freedom of
venturing out into the world. - Perhaps Weir critical of how young soldiers such as this are tempted into the dangers of war by the prospect of carefree
adventure.
“Hoping to hear your playground voice catching on the wind”
- Emotive ending to poem as mother wishes she could hear son’s voice again; shows the human cost of war.
- “Playground voice” has connotations of childhood innocence, exaggerating vulnerability of the soldier and making the reader
empathise even more with the mother’s loss. Mother misses time when she could be maternal and there were no barriers
between her and her son. - Verb “hoping” creates dramatic irony. Reader knows full well that she will never hear his voice again. Creates particularly
tragic and poignant moment of loss. Weir wants us to feel the mother’s anguish and realise that war is never worth fighting. - Final word of poem is “wind”, which creates idea of something temporary and fleeting; could be symbolic of the son’s fleeting
life; also creates sense of isolation at the mother only has cold nature around her instead of the warmth of her son.
Analyse the structure of “Poppies”
- Stanzas have no fixed line lengths and there is no regular rhyme scheme; unpredictable structure of poem could mirror the
unpredictable results of war; in this sense, foreshadows unpredictable loss of son in conflict; disordered structure could
alternatively mirror the chaotic upheaval of the mother’s life, which loses all meaning in the aftermath of her son’s death.
