Poppies

Question 1

what is the context for poppies ?

Answer 1

• poppies grew in battlefields and became a symbol for remembrance in 1921, armistice Sunday also became a way to remember WWII
• poem is an act of remembrance
• weir has 2 sons herself, which may have influenced her desire to explore what caused young boys to go to war and fight

Question 2

how is the opening of poppies and how is it used for effect ?

Answer 2

• poem sets the tone of remembrance from the start
• weir sets scene of the poem at a memorial service to show the reader that the speaker and her son who made the ultimate sacrifice, are victims of war
• by showing the son participating in armistice Sunday & then being killed in war himself, cyclical nature of war

Question 3

how is dramatic monologue in poppies used for effect ?

Answer 3

• dramatic monologue
• 2nd person narrative to directly address their son however, he never replies, implying that he is no longer there which creates a sense of death & loss
• form serves to focus the listener on the mother

Question 4

how is free verse in poppies used for effect ?

Answer 4

• no rhyme scheme or meter as well as a lot of variety in stanza length, this slows the speakers uncensored thoughts through which she tries to make sense of the situation
• Weir use free verse also creates the impression of the poem being an outpouring of emotion or a stream of consciousness
• chaotic structure of poem reflects the narrators lack of control over her emotions as well as the events she has endured & shows the chaos created by war is much further reaching than the battlefield

Question 5

how is enjambment in poppies used for effect ?

Answer 5

‘rolled, turned into felt//slowly melting’
- enjambment, gives the sentences a fragmented feeling
- alludes to the narrator having to grasp at incomplete memories
- breaks the structure of the poem to correspond with the mother emotionally breaking
- mothers suffering are heard throughout the poem as she is repeatedly assaulted by painful memories

Question 6

‘without a winter coat or reinforcements of scarf, gloves’ - Poppies - blending domestic with conflict

Answer 6

• Weir interweaves domestic imagery with violent metaphors
• lack of protection from the cold shows how violence has left a mark on all parts of her everyday life
• could also imply she needs reinforcement to face seeing the memorial for her son as it is still difficult to face the reality of her situation

Question 7

‘graze my nose across the tip of your nose’ - Poppies - familial affection

Answer 7

• maternal affection is juxtaposed against the injury like connotations of ‘graze’
• Weir shows how war presents people from having a normal domestic life

Question 8

‘i was brave’ - Poppies - unconventional bravery

Answer 8

• explores emotional suffering as opposed to physical pain
• evident in the speakers declaration ‘ i was brave’ which opposes conventional ideas of bravery associated with fighting & risk taking
• narrator is acting bravely by carrying on with her daily life despite what she is suffering
• despite her fear of losing her son to war, she still lets him go

Question 9

‘gelled blackthorns of your hair’ - Poppies - loss

Answer 9

• “Gelled” suggests the son’s hair is carefully styled — perhaps to look smart or grown-up. It shows his pride and sense of identity.
• “Blackthorns” is a powerful metaphor:
• Blackthorn is a spiky plant with sharp thorns – evoking pain, danger, or injury.
• It suggests that touching him — or letting him go — is emotionally painful for the mother.
• Might also imply how war can harm young men, no matter how proud or prepared they seem.
• There’s a contrast between the soft act of a mother touching her child and the harshness of the “blackthorns”.
• Could also hint at sacrifice, martyrdom, or even crown of thorns (religious imagery) — giving it a deeper emotional weight.

Question 10

‘released a songbird from its cage’ - Poppies

Answer 10

SYMBOLISM:
The songbird could represent:
- Her son, being set free to go into the world (or into war).
- Her own grief or emotion, finally being expressed.
A cage implies restriction or protection — releasing the bird could show the painful act of letting go.
Emotion & Tone
- It’s a gentle but heartbreaking image — letting go of something you love, knowing it may never come back.
- Suggests a loss of control, but also an act of love and sacrifice.
Possible Religious/Freedom Connotations
- Could be linked to the soul leaving the body, freedom in death, or peace after pain — open to interpretation.
- Fits with themes of mourning, memory, and maternal love.