Bonus Activity: In Flanders Fields
As the new century dawned, New Zealanders settled into a period of relative calm. The calm lasted for about 15 years but came to a sudden end in 1914 when World War I erupted in Europe. The war lasted for almost five years and claimed the lives of 18,000 New Zealanders.
It also claimed the lives of thousands of men and women from countries around the world. Every year, we remember these brave men and women on ANZAC Day (25 April). Many people go to a special Anzac Day ceremony where they read a special poem that was written for the fallen soldiers. The poem is called ‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae.
Read the poem. On your blog, tell us what you think of the poem. Do you like it? How does it make you feel?
It makes me feel very lucky to live in a beautiful, safe country like New Zealand. It also makes me feel sad for those who died in the war and for their families. I think that we are very lucky that they went to war and fought for our freedom. What do you think?
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I thought the poem was absolutely touching. This poem actually touched my heart and made me think about the amazing young men that fought for our country and their loving families. The pain that they felt always reminds me about our amazing country.
