Poppies Flashcards
Quotes p.1.
“individual war graves” (poppies placed on)
“I pinned one onto your lapel”
“spasms of paper red”
“blockade of yellow bias binding around your blazer”
“Sellotape bandaged around my hand”
“smoothed down your shirt’s upturned collar”
“steeled the softening of my face”
“graze my nose across the top of your nose”
Quotes p.2.
“like we did when you were little”
“gelled blackthorns of your hair”
“my words flattened, rolled, turned into felt”
“I was brave, as I walked with you, to the front door”
“the world overflowing like a treasure chest”
“released a song bird from its cage”
“a single dove”
Quotes p.3.
“skirting the church yard walls”
“hat-less” “without a winter coat”
leaned against memorial “like a wishbone”
“dove pulled freely against the sky, an ornamental stitch”
“your playground voice catching on the wind”
STRUCTURE
- Chronological; preparations for son leaving, his departure and what she does after.
- Time frame is ambiguous; memories of sons childhood intermingled with memories of him leaving, often not clearly distinguished
FORM
- First person narrative; strong impression of her emotions
- No regular rhyme or rhythm; make it sound like narrators thoughts and memories
- Long sentences and enjambment; narrator is absorbed in her own thoughts and memories
- Caesurae; how she tries to hold her emotions together
