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In Flanders Field


In Flanders’ Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.

Notes

www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose/inflandersfields.htm
One of the most asked questions is: why poppies?
The answer is simple: poppies only flower in up-rooted soil. Their seeds can lie on the ground for years and years, and only when someone roots up the ground, they will sprout. There was enough rooted up soil on the battlefield of the Western Front; in fact the whole front consisted of churned up soil. So in May 1915, when McCrae wrote his poem, around him poppies blossomed like no one had ever seen before.
A Poem written in reply to John McCrae by Miss Moira Micheal (1915)

"We shall Keep the Faith"

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders’ fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew;
We caught the torch you threw;
And holding high we kept
The faith with those who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led.
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders’ Fields.
And now the torch and poppy red
Wear in honour of our dead
Fear not that ye have died for naught
We’ve learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders’ Fields

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1 - 10 of 10

  • April 25
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    From guest Sunshine Always (contact)
    "Lest we should forget". I pray we never shall for the sacrifice they made gave me the life I have now. A sad but wonderful poem and a stern reminder of how much was lost and given....excellent...mal


  • April 23
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    One of my favorites

    From guest sagerider (contact)
    This one can make me cry. As a twenty year old my father served in France, then as a forty six year old stormed the beaches of Normandy to return to France. He never spoke of either except to tell us of the wine casks that were side tracked as they moved up to the front. They would shoot upward with their Springfield rifles into the casks to get a little wine, then plug the hole. Or going into Paris and using a candle to drive the lice out of their underwear. He had campaign ribbons for all the big actions, Bella Wood, Argonne forest and etc. One old farmer, Bill Rieber, who was like a second father to me, Never mentioned he had served. His wife told me he had been highly decorated. Recently I found his name, he had been as highly decorated as Sgt. Alvin York. My brothers and I, and our sons have proudly picked up the banner.

  • pankaja
    December 7, 2006
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    In flanders' fields by John McCrae, andythe reply

    both poems are equally very good,completely poetic! Did the poppies inspire? If so, can't we have them bloom in our strife-ridden streets, murder-ravaged areas of the modern cities?
    Nuggehalli Pankaja(Pen name of Pankaja)

  • janden
    November 23, 2006
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    A very beautiful poem. An honourable dedication and tribute all who served in Flanders Fields, and to all those who also defended our countries in times of adversity.

  • Legend
    April 2, 2006
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    There is something about the mention of Flanders and the Poppies the symbolizes WW1,how could such a beautiful delicate flower survive amids such carnage,How fitting that it has the colour of blood.What other flower could speak so starkly of war

  • Master Domtos rose
    March 18, 2006
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    When the Australians moved out of Gallipoli, they were sent to the French battlefields. By the time they got there, the country ran red - not just with blood, but with the pervasive poppies. Today the poppy is still pervasive ... the red, stranded among the white crosses, is reminiscent of blood on bandages. An exceptional write.

  • ea
    November 11, 2005
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    I never knew this about the poppies either. I see them all over the place here but I thought the war references were simply because of all the bloodshed in the field.

  • nerweniel
    December 10, 2004
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    I live "in Flanders Fields", and I have visited the graveyards of Ypres in Western Flanders many times, but not even the thousands of white crosses ever brought World War One, part of my heritage and of the history of my country, as close to me as this poem did. It's not only a poetic masterpiece, it also managed to somehow make me proud I am Flemish. One of my favourites of all time.


  • October 22, 2004
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    i think that this poem is so...empowering. You can imagine it so clearly with the vivid images that he creates. Excellent poetry


  • rufina caraid Moderators member
    May 25, 2004
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    This is such a well known poem - and it must have made a terrific impact on WW2 Veterans too as it has been relayed to me word perect by some of my Aged Residents. It is a succinct poem, leaves nothing to the imagnation but the mention of the larks tells me that McCrae hadn't lost his ability to see other things around him other than death and horror.
    Profound writing during a hostile, difficult time.
    ~von~

  • Ladie Lee
    May 24, 2004
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    I've always thought this was one of the most beautiful of the Great War poems, I never knew that about the poppies, I thought it had a different meaning.
    Ladie

  • Pari Ali
    May 9, 2004
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    it is chilling to read this and imagine the scene exactly as the poet described and the fact that he was seeing and feeling it all as he was writing this. Thank you for the link. It helped to make the poem more meaningful and special
    Edited on May 09, 6:38 p.m. because ''.

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