Starter quiz
- The poppy flower is a symbol of...
- spring
- remembrance ✓
- violence
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- What is grief often associated with?
- death ✓
- reunion
- peace
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- What is a stanza with six lines called?
- octet
- sonnet
- sestet ✓
- pentameter
- quatrain
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- From whose perspective is the poem 'Exposure' written from?
- a soldier ✓
- a soldier's loved one
- a war photographer
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- What are doves often associated with?
- death
- war
- peace ✓
- playfulness
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- What is nostalgia?
- excitement for the future
- longing for a time in the past ✓
- being content in the present moment
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Exit quiz
- Whose perspective is 'Poppies' written from?
- the friend of a soldier
- a soldier
- the mother of a soldier ✓
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- What is the form of the poem 'Poppies'?
- sonnet
- dramatic monologue ✓
- ballad
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- Why might Weir have chosen to write 'Poppies' from the perspective of a soldier's mother?
- Weir lost her own sons at war.
- Weir recognised the mother's perspective of war was lesser-recognised. ✓
- Weir wanted to show the patriotic feeling amongst mothers during WW1.
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- Which quote is suggestive of the son’s death and mother and son’s peace in 'Poppies'?
- "an ornamental stitch"
- "without a winter coat or reinforcements of scarf, gloves"
- "A split second and you were away"
- "a dove pulled freely against the sky" ✓
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- Which line from the poem 'Poppies' shows the mother's nostalgia?
- "I rounded up as many white cat hairs as I could"
- "the world overflowing like a treasure chest"
- "hoping to hear your playground voice" ✓
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- What could the textile imagery in 'Poppies' symbolise?
- the mother's contribution to the war effort
- the mother's love for her domestic routine
- the mother's longing to stay close to her son ✓
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- ’Poppies’ is from the poetry collection 'Exit Wounds’ which explores lesser-recognised experiences of war
- Written from the perspective of a mother, Weir presents the quiet trauma of those who lose close relatives at war
- Weir's poem struck a nerve with many mothers who had lost their children during conflict
- Weir is a textile designer and applied the technique of felt making to this poem to explore the deep process of grief
Common misconception
Students may associate war poetry with soldiers of the first world war and not consider other perspectives.
Many other people were affected by war in less obvious ways than the soldiers themselves.
Keywords
Grief - intense sorrow usually associated with the death of something or someone
Perspective - a point of view
Timeless - not restricted to a particular time or date
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