Poppy Wreaths

In Flanders Fields

BY JOHN MCCRAE

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.

Editor's Note: In doing some research about this famous poem, I found the answers to several questions asked by today's public. Some of those follow here:

• What does the poem In Flanders Fields mean?

"In Flanders Fields" is a poem written by John McCrae during the first World War. The poem describes poppies blooming between gravestones. ... The poppies represent the fallen soldiers, who died in the days before. They felt the sun, but now they lie beneath the ground.

• Where are Flanders fields located?

Flanders Fields, the name of World War I battlefields in the medieval County of Flanders, which spans southern Belgium and north-west France.

• Why is the poem In Flanders Fields so important?

Its powerful use of the symbol of the poppies blooming from the churned earth led to the tradition, to this day, of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those killed in service. By 1917, "In Flanders Fields" was known throughout the English-speaking world.

• Do poppies still grow in Flanders Fields?

Though the poppies still grow, even the beauty of Flanders fields may be a reminder of the losses of the brave many. Poppy seed can lie dormant in the ground for years.

• How many soldiers died at Flanders Field?

This is the only American World War I cemetery in Belgium and 411 American servicemen are buried or commemorated there. Many of them fell at Spitaals Bosschen, an action of the Ypres-Lys Campaign by the 91st Infantry Division in the closing days of World War I.

• How do poppies grow in battlefields?

Field poppies are triggered into germination when the soil is disturbed and they are exposed to light - which is why they are typically found in cornfields, especially those ploughed in spring, and why they grew with such a poignant presence in the shell-churned fields of World War I.

• Was there a battle in Flanders Field?

The Battle of Flanders (French: Bataille des Flandres) is the name of several battles fought in Flanders (a region in northern France and Belgium) during the First World War. ... Third Battle of Flanders (11 July – 10 November 1917) - The Battle of Passchendaele/Third Battle of Ypres - an Anglo-French offensive.

• When do Americans typically wear poppies?

Americans don't typically wear poppies on November 11 (Veterans Day), which honors all living veterans. Instead, they wear the symbolic red flower on Memorial Day - the last Monday in May - to commemorate the sacrifice of so many men and women who have given their lives fighting for their country.

• Are poppies also significant in Canada?

In Canada, the poppy is the official symbol of remembrance worn during the two weeks before 11 November, having been adopted in 1921. The Royal Canadian Legion, which has trademarked the image, suggests that poppies be worn on the left lapel, or as near the heart as possible.