A Study Guide for John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields"

By Gale and Cengage

A Study Guide for John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Poetry for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Poetry for Students for all of your research needs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cengage Learning - Gale
• Release date: Aug 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781535825788

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In Flanders Fields

John McCrae

1915

Introduction

One of Canada’s best-known poems, In Flanders Fields was written on May 2, 1915, when Canadian serviceman John McCrae was stationed at an army hospital in Flanders, Belgium, during World War I. McCrae was not satisfied with the poem, and he threw it away, but another officer retrieved it and sent it to several publications in England. Punch magazine published the poem in December of that year.

In Flanders Fields was a huge success almost immediately, and it was reprinted in newspapers across the world, inspiring soldiers and touching the hearts of patriots at home. In 1917 the Canadian government used In Flanders Fields in its advertisements for Victory Loan Bonds, with unimaginable success: the bonds raised $400 million for the war effort. The poem was also credited with arousing American support for the war. The United States entered World War I in April of 1917, and by the end of 1918, the Central Powers were forced to admit defeat. Each year, countries across the globe use poppies—mentioned in the poem’s first stanza—as a symbol to celebrate the armistice that ended World War I on November 11th, and In Flanders Fields is read at Remembrance Day celebrations each year on that day in countries across the British Commonwealth. Due to the impact of this poem, many veterans’ groups sell poppies as a token of those who died in