Last Updated on 11/23/25 by Rose Palmer
In 1915, Canadian physician John McCrae wrote a poem after a friend died in the Second Battle of Ypres in World War I. He noticed how quickly the poppies grew among the crosses that marked the graves of the fallen and used that as his inspiration for the poem.
Since that time, the poppy has come to represent Remembrance Day throughout the British Commonwealth.
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae
In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Tower of London poppies display
In 2025, about 30,000 of these poppies were put out on display once again at the Tower of London, this time to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. From May to November, The Tower Remembers displayed nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies in a way that “looks like a wound in the heart of the Tower”.
Poppies pour out of the Tower of London.
The poppies spread out from the tower onto the grass surrounding the building.
From the on-site information plaque:
“The poppies installation reflects on the impact of war, including attacks on civilians. During the Second World War, bombing raids known as the Blitz unleashed destruction on people’s homes and communities across the country. “
The poppies spread out all around the Tower of London.
The display culminates into a crater of poppies.
The poppies were created by artist Paul Cummins, and the installation design was done by Tom Piper.
The poppies also extended along the Inmost Ward Wall…..
…..and dripped out through the Traitor’s Gate.
This poem was on display on the Tower grounds along with the poppies:
In Retrospect
by Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate
The world asks a great deal of the poppies,
insist they carry the wounds of war
and shoulder the weight of remembrance.
Such flimsy, wavering plants;
we painted their flowers the colour of blood
and pinched dark holes in their heads
as if bullets had passed through,
then trimmed them with green sprigs of hope.
And from deep in the seeds we concocted
the essence of sleep and dreams and resting-in-peace.
Almost weightless even in full bloom
we made them souls, the poppies, souls
of those who we lost, and – let it be said –
those we killed.
Poppies – nursed in darkness, nourished by dirt.
But for all their spindly roots, frail stalks
and papery petals – as easily smudged
as a butterfly wing,
they joggle into existence
again and again, unearthing themselves
in fallo fields and railway sidings,
on roundabouts, verges and no man’s land,
from the brickwork of old chimneys and bridges
and cracks in the pavement.
They nod and they nag,
reminding us not to forget, flagging a red alert
as their crumpled petals unfold.
So, rightly, the poppies ask a great deal of the world.
I saw the ceramic poppy displays in London in November 2019 and May 2025.
Remember the poppies and never forget!
Rose
Other stories about London, one of my favorite cities to visit:
My tour of Highclere Castle: Touring the Real Downton Abbey – Channelling My Inner Countess With a Visit to Highclere Castle
London in photos: Discovering Photogenic London – Some of My Favorite London Photos
London is more than just grey skies: Photo Essay: Colorful London