What poem do I think is the best poem in the world? The answer to that would be the poem In Flanders Field by Dr. John McCrae. I have known this poem for most of my life growing up. We would always learn about it in school around Remembrance Day. As Canadians, this poem is very important because it was written in the First World War by a Canadian lieutenant who was inspired to write it after the death of his friend. It reminds us about how we are free and what people did so that we could live in a free country. In Canada, In Flanders Field is one of the nation’s best-known literary works. In this analysis, we will look at the different figures of speech, symbols, and the meters. In Flanders Field is written in the format of a French randeau. It is a lyric poem and consists of three stanzas with a total of 15 lines. One of the main literary devices that is in this poem is alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of a constant sound. In this poem, there is repetition in lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. Some examples are: Flanders Fields, loved and were loved and now we lie, the larks still bravely singing fly. The author uses alliteration for different reasons. Alliteration creates rhythm in poetry. It sounds better and makes the poem flow. Also to make you remember. People remember alliteration phrases so easily. In line 13, there is an assonance in the poem. An assonance is a repetition of a vowel sound followed by a different consonant sound. The one in the poem is break, faith. These have the same sounding letters. Another literary device used is a metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison without using like or as. Line 12: The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die. The torch is being compared to the duty that the soldiers that have died are passing on to the living soldiers. Metaphors help create a vivid idea of what the author wants to say more creative and interesting. They also get people to think beyond and what the line is really trying to say. Metaphors encourage readers to draw a comparison between two different and unrelated things and look for the similarities between them. The last literary device I want to share is personification. Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman. An abstract quality in human form. Line 4: The larks, still bravely singing, fly. The purpose of this is to create a readers interest in the poem. It can also evoke emotions such as sympathy. Personification also immediately encourages the reader to relate to whatever thing is being described. In this poem, I came across three symbols. The poppies, the lark, and the torch. The poppies symbolize the soldiers who died in war, who’s blood was shed so that Canadians can live freely. They symbolize the growing number of causalities. Seeds were planted and bloomed into beautiful red poppies that inspire the living. The larks symbolize how nature still rules. The living will continue to fight even though there are soldiers that have died. They will pass on the torch saying that they will continue to fight. The torch symbolizes duty and obligation. The living carry and pass on the torch to show that they are telling the dead to rest in peace and that they will continue to fulfill the duties of being a solider. Symbolism is used to add depth and meaning to a piece of writing. Symbols open doors of meaning. Whether it be a poem or a story. A symbol conveys ideas and also creates imagery in a person’s mind. Symbolism also helps the reader make connections to other main ideas. Dr. John McCrae writes this poem in iambic tetrameter. This is where a line has four pairs of syllables. Each of the end rhymes in this poem are masculine. The first two lines demonstrate this meter. In FLANders Fields the POPies BLOW. BeTWEEN the CROSSes ROW on ROW. Writing in meters will make the poem flow and will make the reader want to keep reading. It also makes the poem shorter and quick to the point. It sounds like it could be a song and that is why this is a lyrical poem. In Conclusion, I believe this is the best poem in the world. It is a very famous poem and one of Canada’s best and proudest works. Teachers use this poem to teach kids in school because of all the literary devices, themes, and meaning that this poem has. As Canadians, reading this poem should make us proud and thankful for the ones who died to fight for our freedom.