Poppies

Poppies symbolize the unlikely presence of life amidst death. The poppies are the poem's most prominent symbol, and they appear multiple times throughout the three stanzas. Their presence in Flanders fields is ironic, as the landscape has been painted inexorably by death due to the war. That poppies – colorful flowers known for their vibrancy and calming power – are growing even as men are dying suggests that life persists despite the effects of war. Their presence also suggests that the soldiers' deaths were fated from the beginning, as the poppies appearing between the unmarked graves create a type of natural cemetery out of the landscape.

Crosses

Crosses symbolize death and sacrifice. Before the second stanza, readers may not be fully aware that the speaker is speaking to the audience from beyond the grave. The crosses mentioned in the first stanza signify this reality, as the speaker notes...