John McCrae’s War

Most Canadians are familiar with the poem “In Flanders Fields,” which has long been a staple of Remembrance Day ceremonies.

The often-recited poem was the work of Canadian First World War physician John McCrae, who wrote it on the battlefront in Ypres, Belgium, in 1915.

Its reference to poppies growing over the graves of the fallen led to the flower being used to symbolize remembrance of soldiers who die in conflict.

The lasting impact of the poem was likely something its creator could never have anticipated.