Poppies - Jane Weir Flashcards
What are the themes shown in poppies?
- War / conflict
- Loss
- Family
- Suffering
How is war / conflict shown in poppies?
A mother’s son has gone to fight in a war and the poem shows a different perspective of war’s effect on people.
What quote shows war in poppies?
“on the war memorial”
“before armistice Sunday”
How do these quotes show war?
Because they are things that are related to war and war remembrance. War remembrance is all due to conflict.
How is loss shown in poppies?
We do not know for sure, but we get hints that her son has died as the poem ends with the mother at a war memorial. However even if the son has not died, she feels like she has lost him because he has let her to go to war.
What quotes show loss in poppies?
“I traced the inscriptions on the war memorial”
“leaned against it like a wishbone”
“released a song bird from its cage”
How do these quotes show loss?
When she is tracing the inscriptions hints that she is mourning her son. The “wishbone” symbolises that she is leaning together but breaking apart, she could easily break as well as using the wishbone to wish she could have her son back. She released the bird because she released her son into the world (symbol)
How is family shown in poppies?
The poem is about a mother who’s son has gone to fight in a war and she misses him.
What quote shows family?
“like we did when you were little”
How does this quote show family?
She is remembering all the things they did as well as games they played when her son was little unlike now because he’s going to war.
How is suffering shown in poppies?
Because the mother is suffering from the effect of war but differently from her son who is in the war.
What quotes show suffering in poppies?
“like a wishbone”
“I was brave”
How do these quotes show suffering?
“wishbone” tells us that she is breaking apart because she doesn’t know what to do. She is fragile and can easily break. She was trying to be brave even though inside she was not brave but didn’t want her son to know.
