Poppies

• Themes

  • Power of humans
  • Power of nature
  • Memory
  • War
  • Death
  • Religion
• who wrote poppies - Weir
• “all my words flattened, rolled, turned into felt”
• “smoothed down your shirt… softening”
• “pinned onto your lapel, crimped petals, spasms of paper red”
• “after you’d gone i went into your bedroom / released a song bird from it’s cage“
• structure: free verse - dramatic monologue, second person narrative (talking to her son, no reply.), no rhyme scheme (for the uncensored thoughts)
• AO3: poppies grew in battlefields - symbol of remembrance so poppies is for remembrance
• summary : mother recalls caring for her son and reminisces about his childhood. mothers grief explored. reveals unconventional victims of conflict. critiques the glorification of war. war is far reaching and permanence, powerful permanent impact for those left at home physically and mentally suffering after losing a loved one.