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.
Background
John McCrae was a Canadian physician and soldier who served in World War I. He wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" on May 3, 1915, after witnessing the death of a friend in the Battle of Ypres. The poem was published in the magazine Punch on December 8, 1915, and quickly became one of the most famous poems of the war.
McCrae was inspired to write the poem after seeing the fields of Flanders covered in poppies. He was struck by the contrast between the beauty of the flowers and the horror of the war. The poem is a tribute to the fallen soldiers and a call for peace.
"In Flanders Fields" has been translated into more than 100 languages and has been used as the inspiration for many works of art and music. It is considered one of the most important poems of the twentieth century.