The Green Fields of France - Poetry

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo t, mavo, havo
• Leerjaar 2,3

Poetry

The Green Fields of France

What could 'The Green Fields of France' be about?

The Green Fields of France - Dropkick Murphys

The song is about World War I. What do we know about WWI?

• A lot of the battles were in Belgium and France
• The red poppy flower is a symbol of remembrance of WWI
• It was believed to be 'the war to end all wars'.
• A lot of young soldiers fought in the war

Now listen to the song 

and fill in the [blanks] on your assignment sheet!

Did you hear the missing words?

Verse 1

Oh how do you do, young Willie McBride,

Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?

And rest for a while in the warm summer sun,

I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done,

And I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen,

When you joined the great fallen in 1916,

Well I hope you died quick, and I hope you died clean

Or Willie McBride, was is it slow and obscene?

What does 'graveside' mean?

1. The left side of a ship
2. Serious behaviour
3. The area next to a grave

What does 'obscene' mean?

1. Offensive, shocking or disgusting
2. Protesting
3. A part of a play or film

What happened in 1916 and who could 'the great fallen' be?

Why would the singer hope Willie died quickly?

Chorus

Did they beat the drums slowly?

Did they play the fife lowly?

Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?

Did the band play the last post and chorus?

Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest?

What does 'fife' mean?

1. The number between four and six
2. An international football association
3. A small flute used in military music

In the chorus the singer asks many questions about music and instruments. What could this have to do with the war?

Verse 2

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind,

In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?

And though you died back in 1916,

To that loyal heart you're forever nineteen,

Or are you a stranger without even a name?

Forever enshrined behind some old glass pane

In an old photograph torn, tattered, and stained

And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame

What does 'enshrined' mean?

1. To keep something stored, as if in a holy place
2. To forget something that happened long ago
3. To build a church or temple

Why would the singer wonder if Willie was 'a stranger without even a name'?

Verse 3

The sun shining down on these green fields of France,

The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance,

The trenches have vanished long under the plow,

No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now,

But here in this graveyard that's still no man's land,

The countless white crosses in mute witness stand,

To man's blind indifference to his fellow man,

And a whole generation were butchered and damned

What does 'trenches' mean?

1. A deep hole dug by soldiers, used as a place from which to attack
2. Trousers that do not cover the whole leg
3. The French word for 'trains'

What does 'mute' mean?

1. The area of water around a castle that makes it more difficult to attack
2. Silent or not speaking
3. The way you feel at a particular time

What does 'indifference' mean?

1. Something that never changes
2. Lack of interest in someone or something
3. Not being able to make a choice

'The Green Fields of France' are mentioned in this verse. This is also the title of the song. Why do you think this title was picked?

What do you know about the red poppies? Why does the singer mention these flowers?

What do you know about the gas the singer mentions?

Verse 4

And I can't help but wonder oh Willie McBride,

Do all those who lie here know why they died,

Did you really believe them when they told you the cause,

Did you really believe that this war would end wars,

Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame,

The killing and dying it was all done in vain,

Oh Willie McBride it all happened again,

And again, and again, and again, and again

What does 'wonder' mean?

1. An object that can harm you
2. To walk around slowly, in a relaxed way
3. To ask yourself a question

What does 'in vain' mean?

1. Unsuccesful or useless, failing to achieve your goal
2. In the tube that carries blood from your heart to other parts of your body
3. Paying too much attention to your own appearance

The singer says ‘The killing and dying it was all done in vain’, why was it in vain?

How does this song/poem make you feel?

Do you feel the music and the way they sing the song helps with the message of the song/poem? Why (not)?

Some tips on novels and poems

A Canadian boy learns to fly and decides to join the English RFC as a fighter pilot in WW1

A story of a family growing up during WW1, we follow three family members and their way of dealing with WW1

When his older brother is forced to join the British army, Thomas signs up too to prove himself to his country, his family, his childhood love Molly and himself

In their own voices, 4 young people tell of their experiences during WW1 

Famous and great poems

- 'The soldier' by Rupert Broke (1915)

- 'In Flanders Fields' by John McCrae (1915)

- 'A song of Heroes' by Anonymous

- 'Victory Bells' by Grace Hazard Conkling (1918)

- 'Dulce et Decorum Est' - Wilfred Owen (1920)

Creative writing

Choose any of these 4 subjects and write a short opinion/message

( +/-250 words)

1. Agree or disagree with the poem and tell me why.

2. If Willie was your loved one, what would you want to tell him?

3. Explain why you would (or would not) chose to join the war effort.

4. Do you think Willie was a boy soldier and why (not)?