Poppies By Jane Weir
Subject The poem explores the emotions of a mother remembering her son who is in battle/ had been killed in action
Form ‘Three days before’ ‘Before you’d left’ ‘After you’d gone’ ‘This is where it has led me’ Non-chronological narrative structure Use of past and present tense 1st and 2nd person narrative
Form Explanation: The non-chronological structure shows how the mother is remembering her son’s past. The poem switches from her last memory of her son to her visiting the war memorial. She keeps referring back to the memories of him as a young boy. This shift in time may reflect the different ways a mother remembers her son The use of first and second person pronouns ‘I’ ‘You’ ‘We’ convey how the speaker is trying to make a connection with her son, directly addressing him is constantly keeping his memory alive. Not only this, but it also shows the personal feelings of a mother remembering her son
Language ‘Spasms of paper red’ ‘Disrupting a blockade’ ‘Crimpled petals’ ‘Yellow bias’ Military language Metaphors suggest conflict Language evokes colour and texture
Language Explanation: The metaphors of the speaker show how the mother cannot escape from an awareness of her son’s violent death/ what her son is going through. Even though her memories are able to make connections with her son, she is unable to avoid the thoughts of injury and death The use of colours and texture in the poem, particularly the first stanza, show how the speaker is remembering the fine details. Her memories are vivid by her sense of loss
Image ‘Spasms of paper red’ ‘play at/ being Eskimos like we did when/ you were little’ ‘Released a song bird from its cage’ ‘The dove pulled freely against the sky’ The red of the poppy suggests a wound Images of childlike innocence Metaphor suggests letting go of her son, enabling him to grow (freedom) Dove image shows that of peace
Image Explanation: The image of the poppy in the first stanza highlights the how the poem is about the remembrance of soldiers/fallen soldiers. It is also a symbol of conflict as the shape and colour of the poppies hint at bullet wounds and ‘spasms’ may suggest fatal injuries In the second stanza, the speaker remembers her son’s childhood with fondness which comes within her memory of him leaving home for the last time. This provides a contrast between the childlike innocence and the son as a man ‘Released a song bird from its cage’ is a metaphor. The speaker wanted to be strong whilst saying goodbye however after he leaves, she breaks down. It may also signify the fact her soon gained more freedom after leaving home for the first time, or because he has not passed he is free without the pain and can generally be free from everything. However this is contrasted with the son who leaves ‘intoxicated’
Rhyme ‘Slowly melting. I was brave, as I walked’ ‘A split second/ and you were away, intoxicated’ No regular meter nor rhyme scheme Frequent caesuras (a pause near the middle of a line)
Rhyme Explanation: The caesuras (breaks in rhythm) betray how the speaker is trying to remain calm and be controlled, however her inner emotions of sadness are breaking through
Tone ‘Three days before Armistice Sunday’ ‘Steeled the softening/ of my face’ ‘I traced/ the inscriptions on the war memorial’ Link to WW1 at the start A sense of bravery in the speaker Sad and mournful tone
Tone Explanation The link to Armistice Sunday shows how long poppies have been a symbol of remembrance (for a century they have been used as a memorial to our war dead). This may suggest a sense of hint and regret that we still have young men and women making the ultimate sacrifice for their country The theme of bravery links to those who fight for their country and those who are left behind waiting for the return of their loved ones or dealing with their loss The mournful tone is emphasised in the final stanza as we are reminded that there are many names inscribed on war memorials across the country and the world- the speaker’s son is one of many