Critique Paper on “In Flanders Field”

By Marco Yñigo M. Secreto

In Flanders field is a poem written by John McCrae. John McCrae or also known as
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, is a medical doctor and commander of the First Brigade CFA
(Canadian Field Artillery). John McCrae wrote this poem as a way of respecting and honoring
the death of his best friend during World War I. The name of his best friend was Lieutenant
Alexis Helmer. The bright blooming red-colored poppy flowers that grew among the soldiers’
graves in the Flanders region of Belgium, Inspired the Lieutenant Colonel to write his famous
poem called “In Flanders Fields”. In this critique paper I'm going to give my own analysis on why
John McCrae's famous poem called “In Flanders Field” has given such an important message
on what it feels to die in a war.

The poem “In Flanders Fields” talks about the tragedy that the soldiers experienced and
the beauty of red poppy flowers. An example of the soldiers experiencing tragedy was losing
their own comrades in the war. The brightly blooming red-colored poppy flowers that grew in the
Flanders region of Belgium is where the American soldiers who fought in World War I were
buried.

In the poem “In Flanders Fields”, there are 3 things that I liked. Firstly was the delivery of
the Poem. The way John McCrae delivered how tragic it was to die in a war and how beautiful a
friendship among comrades is. Secondly was the message of the poem. The message or the
theme in the poem that really caught my attention was how the sacrifices of the people who
fought in the war were not wasted. The people didn't die in vain instead, they protected the
future lives of the next generation. Lastly is the dedication John McCrae had for his best friend
Lieutenant Alexis Helmer who died during the war.

But there are things or features in the poem “In Flanders Field” that I didn’t like or really
bothered me. One of the things that bothered me was how short the poem was. The poem was
good but I felt like there could be more to this poem. There were certain elements in the poem
that could not be easily understood.

In conclusion, The poem’s message was really beautiful but short. The amount of
dedication John McCrae poured in this poem was beautifully delivered. This poem really shows
how important and how the soldiers' sacrifices were not wasted. Overall the poem was really
made as a way of honoring the soldiers who fought in the war and passed away.