Analysing 'Poppies'
I can explore how Weir uses language and structure to explore grief.
Analysing 'Poppies'
I can explore how Weir uses language and structure to explore grief.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The title could be suggestive of remembrance, the many grieving mothers of war or the outward display of deeper grief.
- Bird imagery may reflect the mother letting go of her son or the way in which she represses her grief.
- Two sestets either side of two longer stanzas may suggest the mother trying hard to contain her emotions for her son.
- The domestic and textile imagery may also show the mother’s containment of grief.
- Textile imagery also suggests the limitations of the mother’s ability to protect her son outside of the home.
Common misconception
Pupils may not notice the significance of the textile imagery.
The textile imagery was carefully chosen for the poem, Jane Weir would have been very conscious of putting this in as she was a textile designer.
Keywords
Grief - intense sorrow usually associated with the death of something or someone
Repress - to keep something under control and not let it come to the surface
Selflessness - concern more with the desires and needs of others rather than one’s own
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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