Original post by keepyourapology1. The structure of Poppies, at first glance, is laid out in neat stanzas, so this makes you think that there is no incoherence in the poem. However, when you look deeply into it, you see that there are lots of caesuras and enjambments, and this makes the reader understand that though Weir seems to be holding herself together, outwardly, she is falling apart inside, as her thoughts ramble and obsess over the thought of her son. The line 'Three days before Armistice Sunday' shows that perhaps, her son was lost quite a while ago, hence people expect her to be holding herself together, but she can't show them that she is still grieving even after all this time.
However, in TYP, Minhinnick doesn't adopt the same personal narration as Weir, and focuses on using the characters in the poem to invoke the same feelings of sympathy and understanding in his readers. The idea of a 'muezzin's eyes wild with despair' proves to the readers that the muezzin is facing a difficult time in his life, as his home, his comforts and his bond with God have been tainted by the war. This shows the reader that the Palestinians are facing a struggle in their lives and Minhinnick, a mere passerby recounts their life experiences to allow the reader to understand the true hardships that these people face in their lives.2. Secondly, the choice of words in Poppies such as 'blockade', 'crimped', 'disrupted' and 'spasms' have violent connotations of death and destruction. Even the Poppy itself, despite being a symbol of remembrance, can also be viewed as a wound, with the bullet entry at the center. These destructive images throughout the poem form the idea of a violent death of her son. However, as this is not a certainty, Weir does not know for sure, and hence, her lack of closure leads to the desperation and frustration for her son. This lack of a peaceful death reflects on the mother's constant obsessing, showing that the son's death has created a torpedo of emotions in Weir's life, making it more difficult for her to move on. This ultimately prolongs her period of suffering.In TYP, Minhinnick uses words with similar connotations of violence and destruction, such as 'poison (gas)', 'barbarian', 'despair' and 'blood' to highlight the difficulties that the different people of the land are facing. These words are each used to describe a different aspect of the poem, hence showing that people across Palestine are facing difficult times, due to the war. The idea of a 'barbarian sun' makes the reader think that even nature is against the people of the land, and that there is no hope for them. This further enforces the idea that hardships have become an everyday part of their lives.3. Lastly, both poems have the idea of hope in their penultimate stanzas, only for it to be taken away later on in the poem. For example, in Poppies, Weir says 'I went to your bedroom...released a songbird from its cage'. This line, specifically the songbird representing the son, shows that Weir wants to let go of the past and the pain that his death has caused her. It shows that she is ready to move on and finally end the vicious circle of desperation, obsession and frustration over her son's passing. However this hope is taken away, when she says 'without a winter coat..gloves', showing that despite being ready to "let go", when it comes to visiting the war memorial plaque, nothing matters more than tracing the inscriptions on the memorial, not even dressing up properly. Again, this leads to Weir's everlasting desperation over her son's death, showing that she will never truly be free of grieving for his loss.This is repeated in TYP, as in the penultimate stanza, Minhinnick says 'a beggar child..blessed it [the missile] with a smile'. This is quite an odd image, as children represent progress and advancement whereas missiles represent destruction and conflict. This contrast makes the reader question why a child would be smiling at a missile in the first place- is he happy because it's not being aimed at him and the people he loves? Therefore, this line enforces the idea of hope, that maybe the children will be allowed to grow up, experience normal things and be with their parents. However, again, this hope is snatched away in the following stanza, with the line, 'the fruit fell into his arms'. The fruit, representing growth and progress, in Palestine, 'falling' into the child's arms shows that the last hope for rebirth in the country is gone, as it has been overruled by the people's inherent instinct of survival - to eat, to drink and to sleep, and therefore, the hardships in their lives will never cease.
Thank you so much!