Explore How the Key Themes Develop in the Poem 'Poppies' by Jane Weir

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

Although 'Poppies' is set in the present day, the themes and ideas in the poem can be linked right back to the beginning of the Poppy Day tradition. Armistice Sunday began in 1919 as a way of marking the end of the First World War in 1918. It was set up as a way of remembering the many men who lost their lives in the war. Even today the event is used to remember those men and any who have died since then.

The main themes running throughout the poem are grief, war, loss, memory, childhood, innocence and adulthood.

In the following questions, you will be asked to explore how these key themes develop throughout the poem.

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