Poppies by Jane Weir

Poppies by Jane Weir is an emotive poem written from the point of view of a grieving mother whose child has died in conflict.

This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Conflict Anthology or AQA’s GCSE English Literature Power and Conflict Anthology. For more study guides from these anthologies, check out the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide.

'Poppies' Poem

Three days before Armistice Sunday
and poppies had already been placed
on individual war graves. Before you left,
I pinned one onto your lapel, crimped petals,
spasms of paper red, disrupting a blockade
of yellow bias binding around your blazer.

Sellotape bandaged around my hand,
I rounded up as many white cat hairs
as I could, smoothed down your shirt’s
upturned collar, steeled the softening
of my face. I wanted to graze my nose
across the tip of your nose, play at
being Eskimos like we did when
you were little. I resisted the impulse
to run my fingers through the gelled
blackthorns of your hair. All my words
flattened, rolled, turned into felt,

slowly melting. I was brave, as I walked
with you, to the front door, threw
it open, the world overflowing
like a treasure chest. A split second
and you were away, intoxicated.
After you’d gone I went into your bedroom,
released a song bird from its cage.
Later a single dove flew from the pear tree,
and this is where it has led me,
skirting the church yard walls, my stomach busy
making tucks, darts, pleats, hat-less, without
a winter coat or reinforcements of scarf, gloves.

On reaching the top of the hill I traced
the inscriptions on the war memorial,
leaned against it like a wishbone.
The dove pulled freely against the sky,
an ornamental stitch. I listened, hoping to hear
your playground voice catching on the wind.

What is 'Poppies' by Jane Weir about?

Stanza 1

The poem begins by setting the scene: it is three days before Armistice Sunday, so a Thursday in early November. The reference to Armistice Sunday, also referred to as Remembrance Sunday, sets this poem clearly in its context of conflict and remembering war. The poem is a personal reflection, however, made clear as the speaker, a mother, pins a poppy on her child’s lapel, initiating a series of memories. This mother speaks directly to her child, who we later learn is dead.

Stanza 2

In stanza 2, the speaker describes preparing her son for a formal moment. It is left open to interpretation, but seems most likely that this Thursday in November marks her son leaving for war or training. The phrase ‘Before you left’ seems quite final and significant, and she has to ‘steel’ herself to keep her emotions at bay, so this seems much more of a significant moment that simply a routine morning. She describes her urge to rub noses as they used to when her son was little, suggesting he is now too grown up for this.

Stanza 3

In stanza 3, the speaker describes the moment of his leaving. She remembers the feeling of releasing her son into a world that intoxicated him, suggesting that he is excited and eager to get to war or the army training. She misses him as she spends time in his bedroom after he has left home, feeling physically sick in her stomach from missing him, and exposed without him there with her.

Stanza 4

In the final stanza, the speaker reveals that her son has died. She visits a war memorial, or rather, she is drawn to it while out walking. And she watches doves flying, thinking back to times when she was stitched, or tied to him. Now, sadly, the stitch is ‘ornamental’ i.e. decorative and no longer practical and functional.

The poems ends with the speaker wishing she could hear her son’s voice, happy, youthful and alive.

Context of 'Poppies' by Jane Weir

Jane Weir's life, education and career

Jane Weir was born in Manchester in 1963 to an English mother and an Italian father, spending time in both countries as she grew up.

Weir lived in Belfast during the 1980s, some of the most turbulent times of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Her experiences of living in conflict has perhaps informed her thinking and imagery in ‘Poppies’.

Weir’s writing is also heavily influenced by her work as a textile designer. In her poetry, she weaves the language of textiles, patterns and design into her imagery, creating tactile and vivid metaphors from ordinary experiences. We see this influence in the poem ‘Poppies’, where Weir refers to felt, stitching and binding to help the reader imagine the emotions of the moment.

Context of 'Poppies'

War in Afghanistan (2001-2021):

The United Kingdom’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan began as part of the international response to the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks in 2001. British forces, alongside NATO allies, joined the mission to dismantle the Taliban regime and combat Al-Qaeda. The commitment extended over years, encompassing counterinsurgency operations and efforts towards stabilising the region. According to the House of Commons Library, 457 British military personnel died in the conflict.

War in Iraq (2003-2011):

At the same time as the war in Afghanistan, the UK participated in the Iraq War, which commenced on March 20, 2003. The coalition, including British forces, aimed to oust Saddam Hussein’s regime and address concerns regarding weapons of mass destruction. These military engagements marked significant contributions from the UK, resulting in prolonged deployments, complex politics, and considerable loss of human life. According to the Gov.uk website, 179 British military personnel died in this conflict.

Jane Weir’s poem “Poppies” was written in response to Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy‘s call for more poetry about these conflicts. Duffy contributed her poem ‘Big Ask’ as part of this collection which she named ‘Exit Wounds‘, adding Weir’s ‘Poppies’ along with poets such as John Agard, Paul Muldoon and Gillian Clarke. Duffy asked each poet to “bear witness” to these conflicts in their own unique ways.

In ‘Poppies’, Weir captures the emotional resonance and personal experiences of individual families affected by the UK’s participation in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, exploring themes of sacrifice, loss, and remembrance.

Line-by-line analysis

Stanza 1

Three days before Armistice Sunday

The poem begins with a specific time stamp, setting the scene close to Armistice Sunday in early November.
The theme of remembrance for war casualties is established from the opening line.

and poppies had already been placed

The symbolism of ‘Armistice Sunday’ in line one continues with the mention of poppies in line two. The poppy is a well known and easy recognised symbol of war and remembrance.

on individual war graves. Before you left,

The focus on individual graves adds a personal touch to the act of remembrance.
The speaker refers to someone departing, creating an emotional context and a sense of a personal narrative.
‘Left’ suggests loss and grieving, introducing a key theme and emotive tone to the poem.

I pinned one onto your lapel, crimped petals,

The act of pinning a poppy becomes a significant gesture, using tactile imagery with “crimped petals,” emphasising the delicate nature of the flower.
The ‘lapel’ here suggests a uniform or formal suit. Perhaps the speaker pins a poppy to the lapel of her child’s school blazer, or their military uniform, or their Sunday church suit. The sense of formality is established in the formal clothing.

spasms of paper red, disrupting a blockade

“Spasms”, “disrupting” and “blockade” create vivid imagery.
The colour red evokes the image of the poppy, but also reminds us of the blood of war and conflict.
On the surface, the speaker is describing the clothing. But the semantic field of war and conflict language is used throughout this poem to create an undertone of fear of loss, foreshadowing the child’s death in conflict.
The term “blockade” could also refer to an emotional blockade between the mother and now grown up son.

of yellow bias binding around your blazer.

The visual detail of the yellow binding enhances the sensory experience, and “blazer” further implies a formal setting, possibly school or military.

Stanza 2

Sellotape bandaged around my hand,

The metaphor of “Sellotape bandaged” introduces an element of makeshift repair, suggesting that this mother is experienced in the art of preparation for formal occasions, and emphasises the love and care that she takes over her child’s appearance.
The choice of diction in “bandaged” adds to the semantic field of conflict language, foreshadowing physical wounds and the consequent emotional wounds, which are the topic of the poem.

I rounded up as many white cat hairs

There is a sense of homely domesticity in mentioning the cat hairs.
“rounded up” suggests a gathering or preparation, possibly for departure for something significant, such as leaving to go to war.

as I could, smoothed down your shirt’s

The action of smoothing down the shirt is a nurturing gesture, emphasising care and attention to detail.
Enjambment is used here to run the previous line straight into this one, and on again into the next line. In fact, this one sentence runs for 5 lines, creating a conversational tone as the speaker describes her memories. There is a sense of continuity created in the enjambment, despite the specific details of what is happening remaining a mystery for the reader for now.

upturned collar, steeled the softening

The juxtaposition of “smoothed down” and “upturned collar” creates a vivid and familiar image of the moment for the reader.
Again, juxtaposition is used to contrast “steeled” and “softening” suggesting a protective stance. The speaker is preparing for emotional and trying to avoid revealing her own vulnerability.

of my face. I wanted to graze my nose

The desire to physically connect, expressed through the desire to “graze my nose across the top of your nose,” adds a layer of intimacy and warmth.
This familiar image of ‘eskimo kisses’ is highly emotive, as this mother reluctantly accepts that her little child is grown up now.
The long sentence comes to a stop with a caesura through the full stop in the middle of the line. This long pause highlights the speaker’s present tense descriptions of her actions that November day compared to the thoughts running through her mind.

across the tip of your nose, play at

The playful imagery contrasts with the somber tone, creating a poignant moment.
The poem contrasts warm and loving vocabulary choices such as ‘play’ with language of conflict such as ‘”spasm”, “bandage” and “blockade”.

being Eskimos like we did when

The reference to shared memories creates a sense of nostalgia and intimacy.

you were little. I resisted the impulse

This long sentence comes to a close with a full stop in the middle of the line, creating a caesura.
The pause highlights the speaker’s internal struggle and emotional restraint: she wants to embrace her child and treat them as she did when “you were little” but instead she holds back and treats them as the adult they have become.

to run my fingers through the gelled

The tactile imagery of “gelled blackthorns” tells us that every moment of this interaction with him is etched vividly into the speaker’s memory.
The child in this poem could be male or female, but the image of spiked, gelled hair suggests it is probably a son.

blackthorns of your hair. All my words

Blackthorn is a shrub or small tree associated with spikes, and so the image of the child’s short spiky hair is placed in the reader’s mind.
The spikes create tactile images, perhaps also suggestive of a spikiness in the leaving: a mother who does not want to say goodbye to her child.
Weir uses caesura here again, ending a sentence mid-line, and creating enjambment to run the end of this line straight into the next. The disruption of the sentences and lines perhaps reflects the disruption of her life and home with her child’s departure.

flattened, rolled, turned into felt,

The focus on words turning into “felt” indicates a struggle with expression, perhaps due to the overwhelming emotions.
Weir worked as a textile designer for some time. In this light, we see the reference to “felt” in a new way. Felt is associated with being thick, perhaps reflecting how thick her mouth feels when trying to express her emotions to her son who is about to leave. Felt is also know to be easily torn and pulled apart, reflecting the image here of her words “slowly melting” in the next line.
In this line, as in the next too, there are frequently interruptions to the line through commas. These small pauses interrupt the flow, reflecting how difficult this mother finds it to express herself clearly at such an important moment.

Stanza 3

slowly melting. I was brave, as I walked

The adjective ‘brave’ suggests emotional strength in the face of difficulty.
The semantic field of conflict vocabulary is used again here to remind the reader of the speaker’s fragility in the face of loss.
There is a sense of foreshadowing here: the reader sees that the mother and child are being separated. There is a strong suggestion that this poem is a sort of eulogy, implying that the child has died.

with you, to the front door, threw

The physical act of walking to the door intensifies the sense of departure.
There is a note of violence in the verb ‘threw’, suggesting her desire to be enthusiastic on her son’s behalf, despite her reluctance to let him go.

it open, the world overflowing

The opening of the door symbolises her child’s release into the world.
The metaphor “overflowing” creates a sense of abundance and possibilities.

like a treasure chest. A split second

The simile of a “treasure chest” adds richness and allure to the world beyond the door.
The caesura after the simile creates a pause in the line, and in that short pause, her child has gone. This pause, along with the sibilance, intensifies the speed of the moment that follows, the “split second”.

and you were away, intoxicated.

The use of the adjective “intoxicated” conveys a sense of the child’s excitement and possibly recklessness in departure. Or at least, the speaker views it in this way. The speaker perhaps feels that her child is too naive and unprepared for the dangers of war.

After you’d gone I went into your bedroom,

The speaker uses another time stamp here, helping the reader to follow the sequence of events of the narrative.
This shift in perspective after his departure creates a moment of reflection and solitude for the speaker.

released a song bird from its cage.

The metaphor of a released bird suggests freedom (her son’s freedom into the real world, or perhaps also her own freedom in letting him go) but also a sense of loss or separation.
The metaphor highlights the emotions of the speaker.

Later a single dove flew from the pear tree,

The dove, a symbol of peace, introduces a positive element amidst the emotional complexity of her loss.
This minute detail, of the speaker is watching out the window, suggests that her life is empty now and with little else to preoccupy her, she notices nature in more detail.

and this is where it has led me,

The speaker feels drawn outdoors on a walk. The verb “led” tells us that she follows the dove, making her seem forlorn and lost in her son’s absence.

skirting the church yard walls, my stomach busy

The use of “skirting” suggests a deliberate avoidance of the church, perhaps as she wrestles with acceptance of his departure (both his physical departure for war, as well as, later, his death as another type of departure).
The verb “skirting” is another reminder of Jane Weir’s background in the textile industry.
Her “stomach busy” indicates inner turmoil or anxiety, either through not knowing if her child if safe, or in the turmoil of accepting his death.

making tucks, darts, pleats, hat-less, without

The list of tailoring terms creates a metaphor for the speaker’s emotional turmoil.
“hat-less” implies vulnerability. She is exposed to the elements without him. Practically, her grief may have led her outside without proper clothing, or simply metaphorically, in her lack of protection for the grief that could encompass her.

a winter coat or reinforcements of scarf, gloves.

This line continues the image established in the line before, structurally linked together through enjambment.
The absence of winter attire emphasises exposure and a lack of protection, metaphorically linked to her emotional vulnerability.

Stanza 4

On reaching the top of the hill I traced

The physical climb up the hill reflects her journey away from him and to a place of solace.
The verb “traced” suggests a desire to each out and touch him, or anything , in his absence.

the inscriptions on the war memorial,

The “war memorial” symbolises remembrance, connecting back to the theme introduced at the beginning through the reference to Armistice Sunday.

leaned against it like a wishbone.

The simile of a “wishbone” implies a desire for something, adding a layer of longing or hope.

The dove pulled freely against the sky,

The dove she followed outside, which led her to this war memorial, pulls away into the sky, reinforcing themes of freedom and peace.

an ornamental stitch. I listened, hoping to hear

The metaphor of an “ornamental stitch” continues the semantic field of textile imagery.
This dove stitches ornamentally, i.e. decoratively and superficially, implying that the peace represented by the dove is also ornamental and decorative rather than practical. The poem suggests that any peace that comes after a loved one is lost is simply decorative, but of little practical value to the grieving family.

your playground voice catching on the wind.

The poem concludes with the yearning for his familiar, happy voice.
Her memories are now further back in time, back to his childhood, suggesting that as time passes, memories fade further into the past.

Analysis of form and structure

Verse structure

Poppies by Jane Weir consists of four stanzas with varying line lengths. Stanzas one and four contain 6 lines, stanza 2 has 11 lines and stanza 3 is the longest with 12 lines. As you can see, the poem does not follow a consistent structure. Instead, it is written in free verse. This allows for shifts in time and tone as the narrative unfolds, and reflects the inconsistencies and unpredictabilities of war and loss.

Each stanza explores different aspects of the speaker’s emotions and experiences related to war and the departure of her child, with a sense of an unfolding narrative in each new stanza.

Rhyme

Poppies by Jane Weir does not have a consistent rhyme scheme. The poem is written in free verse, meaning it lacks a regular rhyme pattern. Instead, the poet relies on other poetic devices, such as imagery, metaphor, and enjambment to convey the emotions and themes of the poem. The absence of a rigid rhyme scheme contributes to the natural and conversational flow of the language, and the emotional intensity of the poem.

Rhythm

As with the verse structure and rhyme, Poppies by Jane Weir does not strictly adhere to a regular meter. Instead, the poem is written in free verse, allowing for a natural, conversational rhythm.

Weir uses regular enjambment and caesura to mix up the rhythm of each line, giving the poem a sense of flexibility and emotional impact. She allows the language to flow organically and adapt to the shifting tones and themes throughout the verses, creating a unique cadence that suits the reflective and emotive nature of the poem.

Themes in 'Poppies'

War and conflict

The poem engages with the theme of war and conflict, particularly the personal and emotional consequences on individuals directly affected by conflict. It addresses the physical and emotional toll war takes on both those who leave and those family members and friends who remain. With this clear focus on conflict, this poem can be compared and contrasted to any of the poems in the conflict anthology.

Loss, separation and death

Poppies centres on the theme of loss, emphasising the emotional struggles associated with the departure of a loved one to war, and their subsequent death. The speaker grapples with the separation, expressing the difficulty of letting go and the longing for connection. In this way, it is similar in theme to Easter Monday (In Memoriam E.T.) (1917) by Eleanor Farjeon.

Remembrance

The imagery of poppies and war graves underscores the theme of remembrance in Jane Weir’s Poppies. The act of pinning a poppy and the visit to the war memorial reflect a desire to honour and remember those who have served and sacrificed. In its focus on the theme of remembrance, Poppies can effectively be compared and contrasted to Requiem for the Croppies by Seamus Heaney, Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers, Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen or even The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Nature imagery

The use of natural imagery, such as poppies, pear trees and doves, introduces themes of nature and symbolism. Poppies, associated with remembrance, and doves, symbolising peace, add layers of meaning to the poem’s exploration of war and its aftermath. Another conflict poem which makes uses of nature imagery is Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes.

Quiz on 'Poppies' by Jane Weir

Have a go at these multiple choice questions to check your knowledge of the basics, before trying the comprehension questions below.

Poppies

Test your knowledge of the poem 'Poppies' by Jane Weir.

Comprehension Questions on 'Poppies' by Jane Weir

What is the significance of the title of the poem?
Explore the speaker’s emotions in the poem. How does the poet convey the impact of war on the speaker’s personal life and relationships?
What does the act of pinning a poppy onto the lapel symbolise in the context of the poem?
How does the free verse structure of the poem contribute to its impact?
How does the poem convey a sense of the passing of time?
How does the speaker grapple with the departure of a loved one, and what emotions are conveyed in relation to departure?
How does the poet use the language of textiles, fabric and clothing to reflect the speaker’s emotions?
How do the references to childhood memories and playful interactions contrast with the more sombre tone of the poem?
How does the poet give this poem a universal and timeless feel, despite its very specific context of war in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Compare the poem ‘Poppies’ to another conflict poem from your anthology. How do different poets approach the theme of war and its consequences?

Other poems from the CCEA Conflict Anthology to pair with 'Poppies' by Jane Weir:

Easter Monday (In Memoriam E.T.) (1917) by Eleanor Farjeon

Both Poppies and Easter Monday explore personal loss from a first-person speaker about a specific individual. While the poems have very different contexts and settings and also differ greatly in their form and structure, they share common themes of specific memories of a lost loved one and eulogistic tones.

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen

Both poems address remembrance of individuals, focusing on the personal and emotional toll. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” delves into the brutality of World War I, while “Poppies” captures the aftermath of more recent conflicts. Analysing the poets’ choices in depicting the human cost of war gives students a great structure for comparison, and there is plenty to contrast in these two poems’ very different approaches to form and structure.

Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers

Both poems focus on the theme of remembrance and the impact of war on personal relationships. “Mametz Wood” reflects on the Battle of Mametz Wood during World War I, while “Poppies” focuses on a more contemporary setting. Comparing the poets’ approaches to conveying the enduring emotional scars of conflict on both individual and on the landscape provides an avenue for exploration.