In Flanders Fields - Kate

In Flanders Fields 

John McCrae was a Canadian poet, author, soldier and physician during WW1. In 1915, he also served as an army surgeon at the Second Battle of Ypres. During this time, he wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields” as a tribute to all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the war. His poem is a symbol for our duty left to us by those soldiers, and is often read on Remembrance Day in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Through the effective use of literary devices such as symbolism and alliteration, McCrae successfully conveys his message, inspiring many people to this day.

Symbolism

McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” uses symbolism when talking about the poppies growing in the field, serving as an emblem to all of those who have died in the war.  The poppies symbolise this because they are able to grow in the desolate landscape of Western Europe, the red colour of the poppies also represents the blood of the soldiers. The poem says “The torch; be yours to hold it high…”. The torch refers to freedom, representing that when you are fighting you are risking the freedom of your country, symbolising the dead soldiers passing on to the living the duty to continue fighting.

Themes & Messages

McCrae tells the reader even though the loss of innocent lives is great, we must make sacrifices to protect our country. “Between the crosses, row on row” and “We are the Dead...Take up our quarrel with the foe”, reflecting that the once young and healthy soldiers are now buried in Flanders Fields, struck down by war without warning. The poet effectively uses imagery to emphasise the main theme. “The poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row”, along with flashbacks to when the soldiers were still alive “We are the Dead. Short days agowe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved” as well as foreshadowing to reflect the consequences ”If ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep”. 

Ultimately, John McCrae effectively uses various literary devices in "In Flanders Fields"  to convey the main theme of loss and sacrifice, and how we mustn't forget the soldiers who died in war for their country. 

“The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.” - Czesław Miłosz

"It's Not A Bird, It's Not A Plane" - Trevor

It’s Not A Bird, It's Not A Plane

By Trevor

Presenting The Poet

In the 20th century, racism and sexism were huge issues. Maya Angelou, a poet that has lived under those social prejudices, was an activist against racial and gender discrimination, and “Still I Rise” is one of her many poems that protests against them. This poem conveys the poet’s determination to rise up from the double discrimination that she has to face.

Repetition and Rhetorical Questions

This poem uses repetition to highlight the poet’s determination to rise up from the double discrimination that she was facing. A section of the poem that can emphasize my point is “Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.” The phrase “I rise” is repeated consecutively, and every other line in the poem mentions “I rise” as well. This stresses how the poet is determined to rise from discrimination, and she is confident in doing so.

This poem uses rhetorical questions to refute the people who discriminate others. The poet questions the audience by asking “Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes?” These quotes show how the poet is not afraid of challenging the people who discriminate her, as the tone used in the questions sounds very confident. Since the poet is a black woman, the rhetorical questions in the poem show how she thinks that all races and genders should be equal.

Maya Angelou uses “Still I Rise” to express how she would not succumb to discrimination, and sends a universal message to the audience, no matter if they are black or white, male or female.

“Out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise. Up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise.”

“Still I Rise” By Maya Angelou, Commented By Alberto

“Still I Rise”

“Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.”

Commented By Alberto

“Still I Rise” Is a very special poem because it portrays confidence and will to always get up when put down.

Maya Angelou poem “Still I Rise” uses literary techniques to explain and remind the audience how harsh the conditions were for an African American woman living during the Civil Rights period . The poem was written around the 1960’s, it was written for it to be the voice of those that were unheard, degraded or putdown.  Maya used many rhetorical questions to prove that she is confident and that no one can put her down, some examples of the rhetorical questions are “Does my sassiness upset you?” “ Do you want to see me broken?” “Does my sassiness upset you?” Towards the end of the poem Maya Angelou uses repetition to again emphasise her main point. She used a simile that showed her confidence that she will never be put down, “Cause I walk like I've got oil wells pumping in my living room.” The meaning is that it she walks very steady and very confidently,

But even nowadays discrimination and racism still happens around world, this is why the narrator wants to express her feelings and give hope to the ones who are suffering.

In Flanders Fields Blog Post - Yu Hin

“War is as dirty a business as the world has ever seen”

~John Steinbeck

By: Yu Hin 

An inconvenient truth

War is an ugly thing, and it is gruesome and bloody.  The lives lost are countless, and we wouldn’t know how terrible it is unless we’ve experienced it.  Poet John McCrae, a lieutenant colonel in the Canadian army which fought in World war one wrote this poem after witnessing the death of his best friend on the front lines.  He wrote this poem to warn those about war, the ugly side of war, and how we should avoid war.

Going deeper into the Poem

The poem is structured very cleverly.  The poem is presented in iambic tetrameter. In a line there are four pairs of syllables.  In each pair, the first syllable is stressed, while the second syllable is unstressed.  An example of this would be "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow." This creates a flow within the poem, and the rhythm could be kept going along with the enjambment that McCrae had used.

The main symbols that the poet mentions in the poem are poppies, torch, and the larks.  Poppies represent the war dead, described by the poet as the blood of the dead soldiers, which grew into red flowers that inspired others.  The torch symbolizes the duty that the dead soldiers pass on, and the lark is interpreted as people who carry on life amid conflict and turmoil, especially the perseverance that they show, as seen in "The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below."

Conclusion:

The poem is a really dark poem, at the same time serving as an epitaph for his loved friend, and also as a warning to the world. Those who buried in the Flanders fields were once young and energetic, with hopes of surviving the war. War eventually turned them down, and stranded them in a meadow far away from home.

He's the Universal Soldier and he really is to blame,

His orders come from far away no more,

They come from here and there and you and me,

And brothers can't you see,

This is not the way we put the end to war.

Through the hoop- Chi Hang

Through the hoop

Introduction:

Fast Break is a poem written by Edward Hirsch in memory of Dennis Turner, who was friend and a basketball player. Through the use of similes, personification and alliteration, the poem narrates some of the action seen on court.

Poetic Devices:

Similes were used throughout the poem (ie. “perfectly, gathering the orange leather from the air like a cherished possession”). Holding the orange leather ball to a cherished possession. The use of this technique makes the reader attribute inanimate objects to certain feelings, creating emotion and adding depth to the poem.

Personification was another poetic device used in this poem (ie. “A hook shot kisses the rim and hangs there, helplessly, but doesn’t drop”). It personifies the shot of the ball, as it makes contact with the rim of the hoop, and is limboing there, bringing tension to the poem. This is the very first line, therefore the author intended to kickstart the poem with a bang, adding an exciting and energetic tone to the poem.

Alliteration was also used in this poem (ie. “A hook shot kisses the rim and hangs there, helplessly, but doesn’t drop”). The “h” is repeated in three of the words, putting emphasis and importance to those words. The hook could symbolise the way Dennis is hooked to basketball; “hangs” could suggest how in every game he is the pivot, the person who might bring his team towards victory or defeat; whereas “helplessly” would symbolise at same time how helpless he sometimes was: he could only watch and hope that the ball would roll in.

Analysis:

This poem conveyed to the readers what a great player he was, describing his actions (ie. “Fanning out… filling the lanes in tandem, moving together as brothers passing the ball between them without a dribble”). This description shows that the poet is trying to praise his cooperativeness as well as performance in the team.

However, at the same time, the poet also hints that Turner had his downfalls (ie. “... but losing his balance in the process, inexplicably falling, hitting the floor”). This symbolises that he has had his blunders, his mistakes. However the author ends this poem on a happy note, (ie. “... and swiveling back to see an orange blur, floating perfectly through the net”),  suggesting that he managed to crawl his way back up. Apart from that, the author ended by telling us he was very much in love with the game, (ie. for the game he loved like a country”). This is a symbol for his tremendous passion for basketball.

Now, dear readers, are you capable of such passion?

Stay Strong & Rise: "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou - Rachel

Poetic Techniques

Simile, in this phrase, ‘Just like moons and like suns’, is used compare herself to the sun and moon, always raising herself up emotionally each day to stay strong no matter what happens.

‘Oil wells; gold mines; diamonds’, known to be expensive and valuable, this metaphor relates to Angelou, implying she is worth just much as everyone and should receive equal amount of respect and love.

From repeating the words ‘I’ll rise; I’ll rise’, this repetition made the words more powerful and in the same time, it conveys her message: stay strong, don’t let anything stop you from fighting back and change who you are.

Rhyme is shown in the poem as seen in the following example, ‘Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave.’ Another example is ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.’ Both examples shows the rhyme scheme in the poem.

‘Does my sassiness upset you? ; Do you want to see me broken? ; Does my haughtiness offend you? ; Does my sexiness offend you?’ uses rhetorical question. By using ‘you’, Angelou catches the reader’s attention, allows us to realize how many people have made ‘I’ feel. This makes the reader take it into a more personal level.

Conclusion

In this poem, the theme portrayed is racism and discrimination. Mary Angelou portrays a strong living with a positive attitude and shows a straightforward message, making it more powerful. This phrase ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’ refers to her life, full of horrific and unexpected events. The ‘black ocean’ is describing her race, allowing the readers to understand the poem is about discrimination.

"Drowning in the sea of Poppies and sorrow" ~ Ryan Leung

"Drowning in the sea of Poppies and sorrow"

“In Flanders Fields” is a very interesting and distinct poem that explores the dimensions of poetry and war.

Commented by Ryan Leung

John McCrae uses words and poetry to remind the sorrow and despair war can bring upon us in “In Flanders Fields”.  John McCrae uses the blooming poppies to remind us of the horrible deeds that human have conducted during WW1. The author sets the theme of sorrow, despair and war by starting with an illustration of the environment. ‘The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.’ John McCrae reminds of the horror of war as he illustrates an innocent lark singing in all this chaos. Contrasting the innocent around the war, and the man behind the scenes making the moves.

During the line ‘Loved and were loved, and now we lie’. John McCrae mentions the lost of love with the lost of the individual soldiers, further highlight the harms of war and the lost of individuals. The author fully demonstrates the sorrow and despair through soft and gentle words. Author uses this to remind us of the harms of war and how we should not repeat it.

John McCrae uses this magnificent poem of sorrow to remind us of the truth of war. The individuals that sacrifice and their sorrow follows. The is a truly popping poem!

Dead Bodies, Blooming Poppies - Alvin

“Dead Bodies, Blooming Poppies”

"In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae is able to effective in highlighting themes of bravery and gratitude.

Commented by Alvin Mak

“The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below” John McCrae writes, setting the scene. The theme of war and bravery that John McCrae establishes in “In Flanders Fields” is both done effectively and thought provoking.

“We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow”, McCrae writes, employing the power of three. This line emphasizes the nature of the soldiers, reminding us that they were once like us, wishing to live life to its fullest. This also emphasizes the point that these people have sacrificed their lives, and that we should be grateful. As McCrae employs repetition for “In Flanders fields”, the theme of remembrance and gratitude is once again highlighted, reminding us that these people should be appreciated and we should feel grateful. McCrae does an exceptional job with emphasizing his stance that these intrepid warriors should never be forgotten for their service and their bravery.

McCrae also employs the technique of symbolism and metaphors to convey the bravery of the men who went to war. “The larks, still bravely singing, fly……” he writes, symbolizing the intrepid and undaunted soldiers in the battlefield, fighting for the safety of their family at home. This makes the theme of the bravery of the soldiers very prominent in the poem. McCrae also employs the technique of metaphors and juxtaposition to highlight the fearlessness of these men. “We shall not sleep, though poppies grow……” highlighting the stern undaunted mentality that these men express. This makes the theme of bravery even more emphasized and prominent.

Ultimately, John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” should be read and appreciated because he effectively employs poetic techniques such as metaphors, the power of three, repetition, and symbolism to express and highlight the themes of gratitude and bravery.

Vanessa's Blog: Love Given ≠ Love Returned

Vanessa

Love Given ≠ Love Returned

Let’s face it: love hurts.

If you loved someone but they didn’t love you back, would you keep going or would you decide to stop? The More Loving One is no cliché love poem. Auden depicts the arguably most undesirable type of love: unrequited love. No one likes having their love unreturned, but could it possibly be better than having no love at all?

“Looking up at the stars, I know quite well

That, for all they care, I can go to hell,

But on earth indifference is the least

We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn

With a passion for us, we could not return?

If equal affection cannot be,

Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am

Of stars that do not give a damn,

I cannot, now I see them, say

I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,

I should learn to look at an empty sky

And feel its total dark sublime,

Though this might take me a little time.”

Narrative voice

What distinguishes this poem from others is the authentic and unique narrative tone. Auden keeps an edge to the otherwise romantic poem which grounds the reader in reality. This is evident right from the first two lines, “Looking up at the stars, I know quite well / That, for all they care, I can go to hell”. His tone is not careless by any means; he portrays the unwanted side of love in an abrupt and almost comical manner, which assists to engage the reader.

Balanced Love

Most people assume right away that love travels it two ways, in equal amounts. They aren’t wrong to think so, since all of us only want to see what we would like. However, In the contrary, Auden proposes the notion that equal affection cannot always be attained. Nonetheless, because of love, he would still rather the more loving one be him.

Theme

It is not very difficult to guess that The More Loving One about unrequited love. Nevertheless, it also positions the reader to come to realise the role of love itself, and how important it may be in our lives. He wonders “were all stars to disappear or die / I should learn to look at an empty sky”, indicating that he could potentially grow to live without love. However, it “might take me a little time”, which implies that it could be more difficult to learn to live without love rather than have his love unreturned.

Auden’s poem is insightful and absorbing, allowing us readers to view the concept of love from a wider perspective. So do not fear heartbreak; remind yourself that that little bit of love could do a lot.