The Fields of Flanders
The poem describes a contrast between the beauty of nature in the past and its current devastation. Last year, the fields were vibrant with flowers, but now they are trampled and brown, with broken hedges and little black crosses marking graves. The "flower of hopes" and "beautiful schemes" have been destroyed, leaving only mud and blood. Although the seasons will bring new life to the natural world, the scars of war will remain. The poem concludes by calling for divine judgment on the enemy that has ravaged the land, and praying for restraint in exacting revenge.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1905 · Genre: Historical Fiction, War Literature, Drama · 223 words
First lines
LAST year the fields were all glad and gay With silver daisies and silver may; There were kingcups gold by the river's edge And primrose stars under every hedge.
This year the fields are trampled and brown, The hedges are broken and beaten down, And where the primroses used to grow Are little black crosses set in a row.
And the flower of hopes, and the flowers of dreams, The noble, fruitful, beautiful schemes, The tree of life with its fruit and bud, Are trampled down in the mud and the blood.
The changing seasons will bring again The magic of Spring to our wood and plain: Though the Spring be so green as never was seen The crosses will still be black in the green.
What this Textopian page supports
The Fields of Flanders is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, War Literature, Drama
- Length: 223 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Fields of Flanders by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Fields of Flanders?
- How does this short story by Edith Nesbit fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Marne by Edith Wharton
- Prayer In Time Of War by Edith Nesbit
- The Red Cross Barge by Marie Belloc Lowndes
- Memorial Day 1892 by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- A Little House In War Time by Egerton Castle
- The Great White Army by Max Pemberton
Genres
- Historical Fiction — The narrative is set in a specific historical period and includes real events of the time.
- War Literature — The plot revolves around the experiences and horrors of war.
- Drama — The narrative focuses on emotional experiences and conflicts of the characters.
Tags
Historical Fiction · War Novel · Young Adult · Classic Literature · British Literature · 20th Century · World War I · Belgian History · Flanders · Soldiers · Warfare · Trench Warfare