Poppies by Jane Weir

• What is Poppies by Jane Weir about ?


  The mother's conflict is internal as she struggles with her son's choices. The poem has a connation of remembrance through the title 'Poppies'. The mother reminisces about her sons childhood but is later revealed that he is no longer here as he died in the conflict.
• What is the form of Poppies ?

  The poem is a form of dramatic monologue. The speaker used a first person narrative to directly address her son but he never replies insinuating that he is no longer there creating a sense of death and loss.
• What is the structure of 'Poppies' ?

  The poem is chronological, describing her preparations for her son leaving, his departure and what the mother does afterwards. However the time frame is ambiguous - memories of her son leaving are intertwined with memories of his childhood and this is not distinguished clearly.
• ''three days before Armistice Sunday''


  The start of the play begins with this quote to foreshadow the rest of the play. Armistice Sunday is also known as Remembrance Day and is an occasion of respect to honour and remember the soldiers that died in the wars.
• ''gelled black thorns of your hair''


  Soldiers were made to shave their heads to maintain uniformity and discipline. However this discards the soldiers of their individuality and strips them off originality. This is also symbolic to Jesus Christ as Jesus Christ was made to sacrifice himself for humanity and he was made to wear a crown of thorns and was mocked. Soldiers also resonate with this as they are sacrificing their lives for their country.
• ''poppies have been placed''


  Poppies have a connotation to violence and death (blood which makes Poppies red) and memory. This is foreboding in the poem as it may later connote her sons death.
• What can Poppies be compared to

  Kamikaze, Remains and Exposure
• Similarities of Kamikaze and Poppies

  Both poems shows the psychological effect of war. Weir shows how grief leads to the narrator processing blissful, domestic memories whereas Garland recounts the day the character's ''father embarked at sunrise''. Both poems focus on the unconventional victims of war, not those who went into the battle themselves. This shows how far reaching the effect of violence is.
• Differences of Kamikaze and Poppies

  In Poppies the narrator's physical loss is shown by the wistful ''I listened hoping to hear your playground voice''. In Kamikaze the main character's father is rejected by society rather than being killed and she ''has to live as though he never returned''. This shows that even those soldiers who aren't killed in war can also have their lives ruined too.
• Differences of Kamikaze and Poppies


  In Poppies the narrator's physical loss is shown by the wistful ''I listened hoping to hear your playground voice''. In Kamikaze the main character's father is rejected by society rather than being killed and she ''has to live as though he never returned''. This shows that even those soldiers who aren't killed in war can also have their lives ruined too.