CourÂtesy of Legion MagÂaÂzine, you can hear Canada’s iconÂic singer-songÂwriter Leonard Cohen readÂing “In FlanÂders Fields” by LieuÂtenant-Colonel John McCrae. The clip was recentÂly recordÂed to comÂmemÂoÂrate the 100th anniverÂsary of the poem.
World War I inspired many poems. But this one, straight from the beginÂning, became one of the most popÂuÂlar ones. Poets.org recounts the oriÂgins of “In FlanÂders Fields” thusÂly:
As the first shots of World War I were fired in the sumÂmer of 1914, CanaÂda, as a memÂber of the British Empire, became involved in the fight as well. [John] McCrae was appointÂed brigade-surÂgeon to the First Brigade of the CanaÂdiÂan Field Artillery.
In April 1915, McCrae was staÂtioned in the trenchÂes near Ypres, BelÂgium, in an area known as FlanÂders, durÂing the bloody SecÂond BatÂtle of Ypres. In the midst of the tragÂic warÂfare, McCrae’s friend, twenÂty-two-year-old LieuÂtenant AlexÂis Helmer, was killed by artillery fire and buried in a makeshift grave. The folÂlowÂing day, McCrae, after seeÂing the field of makeshift graves bloomÂing with wild popÂpies, wrote his famous poem “In FlanÂders Field,” which would be the secÂond to last poem he would ever write. It was pubÂlished in England’s Punch magÂaÂzine in DecemÂber 1915 and was latÂer includÂed in the posthuÂmous colÂlecÂtion In FlanÂders Fields and OthÂer Poems (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1919).
As a sad postÂscript, McCrae startÂed sufÂferÂing from asthÂma attacks and bronÂchiÂtis in the sumÂmer of 1917, then died of pneuÂmoÂnia and meninÂgiÂtis in JanÂuÂary of 1918. It’s fitÂting that Leonard Cohen (an accomÂplished poet before he became a musiÂcian) would recite “In FlanÂders Fields,” the text of which you can read below. The secÂond readÂing was recordÂed live in Los AngeÂles earÂliÂer this year.
In FlanÂders fields the popÂpies blow
Between the crossÂes, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still braveÂly singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunÂset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In FlanÂders fields.Take up our quarÂrel with the foe:
To you from failÂing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though popÂpies grow
In FlanÂders fields.
Find Cohen’s readÂing in our colÂlecÂtion, 1,000 Free Audio Books: DownÂload Great Books for Free.
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RelatÂed ConÂtent
Young Leonard Cohen Reads His PoetÂry in 1966 (Before His Days as a MusiÂcian Began)
The PoetÂry of Leonard Cohen IllusÂtratÂed by Two Short Films




