AG 33 week 46 (Remembrance Day)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Today

- Remembrance day 

(- Work on weekplanner)

14th November

Remembrance Day

In this lesson you will:

- know what is celebrated on Remembrance Day

- learn more about Remembrance Day & WWI

- know the meaning of poppies

- be introduced to the most famous war poem: 'In Flanders Fields'

00:41

Why is Remembrance Day a better name than Armistice Day?

01:01

When is Remembrance Day celebrated? Why then?

02:47

Differences?/Similarities?
all over the world

03:41

Why is 'Lest we Forget' an appropriate theme of Remembrance Day?

Remembrance day 11-11

- Poppies in Flanders

- Between 700,000 and 900,000 military deaths / 20 million in total

- Previously known as 'Armistice Day' (armistice = truce)

- Trenchwar 

Remembrance day

- Watch the video:

De Eerste Wereldoorlog

2. De Grote Oorlog

In Flanders Fields is one of the most famous war poems. It was written in 1915 by a Canadian military doctor, John McCrae, who saw his friends die on the battlefields in Belgium during WW I. Flanders, referred to in the poem, is a county in northwest Belgium.

John McCrae wrote the poem in less than an hour. He was very upset after the death of a friend who died in battle, and expressed his feelings through the poem. After writing it, he tossed it in the garbage! Another officer picked it up and sent it to some newspapers in England, where it was soon published.

First impression?

Watch + Listen to the recitation of the poems

Flanders 

Poppies 

Larks

Scarce 

dawn 

quarrel

foe 

In pairs, take a look at the poem and discuss:

- From whose perspective is this poem written?

- What does it mean? (Try to translate)

- What is the message for the reader in the final verse?

- Why do you think the writer uses poppies as a symbol?

Summary of In Flanders Fields:

This is a poem of remembrance, a call for those living not to forget the dead who are buried in a foreign land. It demands that the living remember why the fallen died, so that they did not die in vain. This is one of the most famous poems of the First World War.

Popularity of “In Flanders Fields”: John McCrae, a famous Canadian poet and artist, wrote “The Flanders Field” which is also one of the famous lyrical poems. It was first published in December 1915 in England’s Punch. The poem pays tribute to the dead soldiers, who lost the battle of their lives while defending their country in war. The popularity of the poem lies in the fact that it shows the vulnerability of life and also how ‘poppy’ flowers have become a symbol of honor to the fallen soldiers in World War One and Two.

“In Flanders Field” as a Representative of Hope: The poem reinforces desires of the fallen soldiers who left the transient world, but their souls are still attached to their lands. The poppies and endless rows of crosses mark the graves of those who lost their lives during the war. The poet, very artistically, tries to create empathy between his readers and the dead soldiers by explaining that once they were alive and now, they all have passed and lie peacefully in Flanders Fields. And the larks are flying and singing above the land. Enthralled with hope, the poet encourages the living to take the baton and continue the combat against enemies. And, if they are not going to take up the arms, the dead will not be able to sleep peacefully in their graves, haunted by their failure.

John has used symbols in this poem such as, “poppies” symbolizes the dead souls and “torch” is the symbol of hope. Similarly, “rows of poppies” symbolize the rows of dead soldiers and “larks” are the symbol of life.

Poppies  thrive and grow on the fields freshly manured by blood. Poppies were also associated with sleep (opium being a poppy derivate) and McCrae, being a doctor, would have been conscious of this: the idea of sleeping under the poppies is revived in the last lines.

“We are the dead.”: the poem turns, surprisingly, to the dead, who are given voice by the poet. This is a powerful and emotive turn, a direct address for the living by the fallen soldiers

“In the sky, the larks”: these birds, traditional poetic symbols of natural beauty and freedom, contrast strongly with the world below. As often, nature provides an idealized backdrop to the war that provides a contrast with man’s immoral actions.

The poppies being red was the perfect analogy of the vast numbers of the injured and dying soldiers and the blood that was spilled in Flanders Fields. He wanted to express to the world and have them know how terrible it was. He tried his utmost as a doctor and surgeon to mend these soldiers and to keep up but he was terribly frustrated as he couldn’t keep up to the numbers. He possibly had such sorrow that those who died would not be remembered but forgotten. In the end he is asking all to promise to remember these soldiers who fought for their country and yet died in doing so.

In vlaamse velden

On the next page you will find a Dutch translation of the poem. What are your thoughts about it? 

Can you try to make it more modern? Write it down on a paper or in your notebook

In Vlaamse velden

In Vlaamse velden klappen rozen open

Tussen witte kruisjes, rij op rij,

Die onze plaats hier merken, wijl in ’t zwerk

De leeuweriken fluitend werken, onverhoord

Verstomd door het gebulder op de grond

Wij zijn de doden. Zo-even leefden wij.

Wij dronken dauw. De zon zagen wij zakken.

Wij kusten en werden gekust. Nu rusten wij

In Vlaamse velden voor de Vlaamse kust.

Toe: trekt gij ons krakeel aan met de vijand.

Aan u passeren wij, met zwakke hand, de fakkel.

Houd hem hoog. Weest gíj de helden. Laat de doden

Die wij zijn niet stikken of wij vinden slaap noch

Vrede - ook al klappen zoveel rozen open

In zovele Vlaamse velden.

 

Make it more modern.

The poem, written from the point of view of dead soldiers, describes how men sacrificed their lives in war. They ask that people carry on their fight and never forget them. 

As a result of the poem, poppies, the flowers referred to in the poem, have become an international symbol for remembrance.

Remembrance Day

- What is celebrated / remembered on 11/11

- Why are the poppies an international symbol

- What is 'In Flanders Field' about? 

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