4. In Flanders' Fields

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

In Flanders' Fields

Havo 5 Literature

Before we start..

A short test to see what you remember

Which poem was positive about the war?

1. Dulce Et Decorum Est
2. The Soldier
3. Does It Matter?

Dulce Et Decorum Est was written by

1. Wilfred Owen
2. Rupert Brooke
3. Siegfried Sassoon

What is the place where Dulce Et Decorum Est takes place?

In Dulce Et Decorum Est, the soldiers are compared to hags and beggars. Why?

What is the message in The Soldier?

About the author

• John McCrae
• 1872 - 1918

What does the year of his death (1918) tell us?

About the author

• Canadian army doctor
• Died from pneumonia (longontsteking) in 1918
• Probably after effects of a chlorine attack
   (remember Dulce Et Decorum Est?)

Which country is Flanders?

What do the following words mean?

poppies

larks

scarce

dawn

quarrel

torch

fakkel

gevecht

klaprozen

dageraad

leeuweriken

nauwelijks

The importance of poppies

• English national symbol of remembrance (WWI)
  
• Because of this poem (In Flander’s Fields)
  

Let's read the text together

Let's continue

In Flanders' Fields

by John McCrae

1. Is the text prose or poetry?

1. prose
2. poetry

Explain your answer

Discuss in pairs or groups of three.

Why is it poetry?

It is a piece of writing in which words are arranged in separate lines ending in rhyme.

2. Is in Flanders' fields a sonnet?

1. yes
2. no
3. What is a sonnet?
4. I don't know

It isn't a sonnet

It does not consist of 14 lines (it has 15).

Mistake in the reader :O!

In the literary terms, it says a sonnet consists of one stanza.

Although this is how it they are normally presented, it isn't always the case.

What is a sonnet?

A fixed verse form (of Italian origin) consisting of 14 lines that often follow a strict structure.

Which poem that we previously dealt with is a sonnet?

1. Dulce Et Decorum Est
2. The Soldier
3. Does It Matter?

3. What is the rhyme scheme of this poem?

Discuss in pairs or groups of three.

Correct answer

• AABBAAABCAABBAC

4. What type of rhyme can be found?

4. Explain your answer with examples.

5. Are there any imageries (figures of speech) that you can find?

Discuss in pairs or groups of three.

Correct answer

• rows of poppies (line 1 & 2) = metaphor for dead soldiers
  
  
• the larks, singing bravely (line 4) = personification, birds cannot really sing
  definition of sing: make musical sounds with the voice, especially words with a set tune.
  
  
• torch (line 12) = metaphor for hope

6. What is the setting (time) of this poem?

6. What is the setting (place) of this poem?

7. Dulce et Decorum Est, The Soldier and In Flanders' Fields all talk about fields. Try to explain the difference between them.

Discuss in pairs or groups of three.

7. Difficult? Try the following

Dulce et Decorum Est

The Soldier

In Flanders' Fields

Battlefield, battle is still raging.

Battlefield, battle has finished

(make-shift) graveyard

8. Rank the poems from most negative to most positive.

Most negative

Most positive

Dulce Et Decorum Est

Does It Matter?

In Flanders' Fields

The Soldier

Explanation

• Dulce Et Decorum Est
  Graphic language and scenes
  
  
• Does It Matter? 
  Negative & sarcastic, but uses less strong language
  
  
• In Flanders' Fields
  It talks about the dead, but also about hope
  
  
• The Soldier
  Kind of propaganda (richer dust)

I think I understand this poem well enough for the test.

Yes

No