¶ … Flanders Fields: A World War I Poem Written by John McRae The poem "In Flanders Fields" was written by John McRae, Canadian soldier, surgeon, and last, but not least, a poet, during World War I. McRae's poem gives a voice to those who died fighting in the war. Flanders Fields is reported to have been "the generic name of the World War I battlefields under the medieval County of Flanders." (Golden Map, nd, p.1) In Flanders Fields was penned by McRae during the War Poetry Movement, a time during World War I when many poets penned poetry relating the battlefield tragedies. The primary themes in McRae's poems were death, revenge, and honor. (Righter, 2008, p.1) The most famous of all his poems is "In Flanders Field" in which the idea of a tragic...

(Righter, 2008, paraphrased) A great deal of symbolism is used by McRae in this poem and the example stated in the work of Righter (2008) is that of larks "singing and flying around" representing bullets and "how they're loud and fly all across the battle field. The red poppies symbolize blood and perseverance, much like the crosses themselves (Ruby, p.157)." (Righter, 2008, p.2) A young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed on the 2nd day of May, 1915 when a German artillery shell exploded landing near him. This young man was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit and was a friend of McRae. It was for this young man's funeral that the poem "In Flanders Fields" was written. (The Great War 1914-1918,…