The Parent-Child Relationship and War
The main theme of the poem is war from a parental point of view and the feelings that a parent goes through when a child leaves for a conflict far away. In this poem, the child is full of excitement and anticipation, fueled by his patriotism and the possibilities of the good he can do. The mother is anxious, and already preparing herself for grief by going to visit the war memorial to see the names of the boys who never came home, and whose families grieved before her. This poem explores the complexities of the parent-child relationship, illustrating both the love and anxieties central to the parent’s role. The first stanza introduces this theme through a striking juxtaposition: the speaker describes poppies laid on graves before reflecting on pinning a poppy on her son’s lapel. Pinning a flower on a child’s lapel is a tender, caring act by a parent, often associated with significant occasions such as a graduation, school dance, or wedding. It can also be associated with the protection of the child, as the parent takes an action on their behalf. This sweet moment between the mother and son is given a haunting tone by the prior image of the poppies laid upon the soldiers’ graves. Similarly, the description of the mother pinning the poppies is littered with warlike images, reinforcing the haunting nature of this seemingly sweet moment: the “spasms” of “red” recall injuries and blood, while the yellow pattern on the lapel is described as a “blockade.” The poppies thus create a sense of tension within the poem, as well as a haunting, somber tone, as the mother’s memory of pinning the poppy is contrasted with the image of poppies commemorating wartime deaths. Thematically the poem differs from most traditional "war poems" in that rather than focusing on the soldiers, it focuses on the parents of the soldier as they wait for them to come home, while living every day with the fear that they may not.
The poem continues to develop the theme of parent-child relationships by juxtaposing the mother’s memories of affection and closeness with the child’s departure. As the mother prepares to have her son leave the home, likely for war, she recalls a tender moment from the son’s childhood, giving "Eskimo kisses". She also wishes to touch his hair and walk alongside him. These childlike images are contrasted with the son himself, who appears to be excited to leave home as he is “intoxicated” by the outside world and views it as a “treasure chest.” This diction emphasizes the different attitudes of the mother and son. The mother must reckon with the full extent of her parental anxieties and fears, as she is well-informed and acutely aware of the dangers of war, as shown by her references to graves and the memorial. By contrast, the son appears to be youthfully naive and is simply excited to leave home, as he is symbolically compared to a songbird exiting the cage. After he has left, the mother again wishes to hear his “playground voice,” contrasting the innocence of the son as a child with his current status as a soldier. The poem deliberately does not provide any clear messages regarding the proper extent of protection and independence within the parent-child relationship, but provides a detailed and empathetic window into the mother’s attitude toward her child’s departure.
The Devastation of War
“Poppies” bears witness to the devastation of war by examining the effects of war on a society-wide level as well as on the level of an individual mother and son. The poem is bookended by images demonstrating the macroscopic impact of war. The reference to Armistice Sunday in the first line acknowledges the societal commemoration of war and the fact that war affects countless individuals, each with their own unique story. Each poppy represents a life that was lost, calling attention to the individual suffering and grief that accompanies a national event like a war. Similarly, the war memorial at the poem’s conclusion represents the national effects of war. The mother traces the many names on the memorial, demonstrating the breadth of the conflict. The fact that the memorial has been constructed also shows the effect of the conflict on the community, as it has authorized the construction of this statue specifically in memory of the trauma of war.
The majority of the poem grapples with the mother’s specific experience of anxiety surrounding the son’s implied military service. While the poem only opaquely alludes to the son’s military service—through the poppy on his lapel, the blazer, the gelled hair, and the broader context—the mother’s sense of anxiety strongly permeates the tone of the poem. The mother herself takes on soldier-like qualities, demonstrating the broader range of roles that individuals can play in a war effort beyond direct participation. She is “brave” as she walks her son to the door; bravery is the archetypal quality of a soldier in battle. She “bandaged” sellotape around her hand, evoking imagery of a wartime injury. Most directly, the mother appears to worry that her son’s name will be added to those inscribed in the war memorial. The mother’s anxious, racing thoughts, conveyed through free verse with enjambment, capture the theme of war as experienced through a parental lens. While history, politics, or journalism may discuss war as a generalized concept, “Poppies” focuses on the devastation of war at the individual level.
Grief and Loss
“Poppies” explores a mother’s anxieties over her son leaving home, exploring the psychology of a parent anticipating grief and grappling with loss as their child departs home. The opening line's reference to Armistice Sunday immediately establishes this theme of remembrance and grief, which is closely linked to the theme of war. Armistice Sunday is a national tradition of collective grief and remembrance, as well as a way to honor those who have lost their lives in conflicts. The moment of departure depicted in “Poppies” is the mother’s own individual version of Armistice Sunday, as it marks the critical anniversary of the date that her son left home, which is a significant moment in the mother’s life. Similarly, while the war memorial marks the community’s collective grief for the lost soldiers, the mother tracing the names on the memorial demonstrates her own individual anxieties and her personal connection to the memorial.
The mother’s anticipation and anxiety regarding her son infuse the language of the poem. The poppies are described as ominous “spasms of paper red,” recalling blood and bodily actions; the sellotape is “bandaged,” as if covering a wound. These words apply the language of warfare to the mother’s own experience, connecting her sense of loss to that of soldiers on the battlefield. At the poem’s conclusion, the memorial is described as a “wishbone,” representing the mother’s sense of longing and forlorn hope. Even the second half of this compound word, “bone,” adds an ominous edge to the mother’s longing. When coupled with the fact that the mother is wishing at a memorial, the poem’s conclusion conveys not only hope but a sense of grief and loss, as the mother recognizes the very real dangers that her son appears to be facing. This haunting image of a mother standing alone in a graveyard concludes the poem with an emphasis on the theme of longing and loss.
