Identify and Explain the Key Quotes in 'Poppies' by Jane Weir

For this activity, you will need to turn to the poem 'Poppies' by Jane Weir in your anthology. It can be found in the Power and Conflict section.

'Poppies' describes the love of a mother whose son has gone to war. It fits very well with the idea of Power and Conflict as it's not only about war, but it describes the conflict between the mother and son.  The mother wants her son to stay young and safe, and the son is eager to get out into the big wide world. Although there are clues in the poem that this is a modern conflict, the poem ends with the mother visiting a war memorial.   There is such a sense of sadness that we are led to believe that her son has died, or at least not returned from war.

Think about what you know about 'Poppies' and look out for how they are symbolic throughout the poem.

You should always refer to your own text when working through these examples. These quotations are for reference only.