Turns out that the poem and poppy are prominent Remembrance Day symbols throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly in Canada, where “In Flanders Fields” is one of the nation’s best-known literary works. Like the perennial flower, McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Fields,” also spread and pollinated in magazines and the public consciousness across continents.Īs a result of its immediate popularity, parts of the poem were used in efforts and appeals to recruit soldiers and raise money selling war bonds. Once the conflict was over, one of the only plants to grow were the poppies. In late 1914, the fields of Northern France and Flanders were once again ripped open by guns blazing and fighting. Poppies became an image of hope for peace with the unspoken message that sacrifice was noble for the greater good. Going back to the destruction of the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, red poppies magically grew around the bodies of the fallen soldiers on what seemed like a barren land. Poppies were a cultural reference point to many at that time. But his fellow soldiers, moved by the sentiments, retrieved the poem which inspired many. Legend has it that he didn’t even like his poem and discarded it.

McCrae was inspired to write this poem on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of a friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. He wrote the poem, “In Flanders Fields” during World War I at a place where poppies were plentiful and grew around gravesites. However, many history buffs credit Canadian surgeon and soldier John McCrae for popularizing its use for military remembrance ceremonies. Poppies were also used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep.Īfter all, opium is extracted from poppies and used as a sedative. Therefore, the added appeal of its use to represent eternal sleep prevails. In both Greek and Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead. Since these ancient times, poppies have long been used as a symbol of sleep, peace, and death. Poppies Signify The Promise Of ResurrectionĪnother interpretation from classical mythology is that the scarlet flower with its ebony interior – black is also a color of death – signifies the promise of resurrection after death. Some have thought the flowers were popularized because of their blood-red color signifying bloodshed as a result of someone’s sacrifice to their country. Photo credit: Anthony Devlin/AFP/Getty Imagesĭo you remember seeing Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge laying a wreath during an event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France? World leaders, including French President Emmanual Macron of France and U.S.President Trump, also gathered at a gravesite in Caen, France where more than 9,390 American service members were killed in the World War II landings to pay their respects.Īnd when the Royal Family reunited for the annual Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Prince Charles and Prince William was wearing poppy pins. However, the poppies are also worn on veterans’ lapels and often placed individually at a gravesite to represent honoring and respecting those who sacrificed their lives in military conflict. They are often presented on graves in the form of wreaths since its circular shape represents eternity, continuity and the circle of life.

Poppies are the flowers used as a symbol around the world to remember those who died in military service.

Meaning of the remembrance poppy