Analyse the Language Used 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.

'Poppies' looks at the mother of a son who has grown up and gone to war. The poem contains many clues that this is a modern conflict, however the poem ends at the memorial, suggesting the son died at war and is now missed by the mother who fears the worst. The poem is based heavily around the idea of poppies and the idea of memory. The poem explores sadness and pride and unusually avoids commenting on the war itself.

In the following questions, you will be asked to analyse the language devices used in the poem.

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