Today’s project is a free poppies coloring page. August’s flowers of the month are gladiolus and poppy. I was in the mood to draw flowers today, so here it is.
Poppies may be August’s flower of the month, but they are also used as a symbol of remembrance. They are particularly associated with World War I.
Inspiration
Some of the heaviest fighting took place on the Western Front in Belgium Flanders, and their once beautiful landscape became a muddy battlefield. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian doctor and poet, visited the site in May of 1915. He was grieving the loss of a friend who had died in the war. The field was full of bright red poppies, and it inspired him to write the now famous poem, “In Flanders Fields.”
McCrae’s poem inspired American professor Moina Michael to write her own poem, “We shall keep the faith.” This poem was published in 1918. Michael also campaigned to raise money for war veterans by making the poppy the international symbol of remembrance. She made and sold red silk poppies to raise funds. The sale of artificial poppies became so popular that the British Legion founded a factory in 1922. Disabled British service members staffed and managed the factory.
Red poppies honor the service men and women who lost their lives during the conflict. Purple poppies honor the animals who were killed during the war, and white poppies symbolize peace without violence.
You’re welcome to color your free poppies coloring page any color you wish. You’re also welcome to post your colored pages on your Facebook pages or in your coloring groups, with attribution given to Stephany Elsworth/Color with Steph. Please do not post uncolored pages on the web, even if they’re free. Thanks!
References
Why We Wear Poppies on Remembrance Day
How the Poppy Became the Symbol of Sacrifice
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