“In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place, and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard among the guns below.”(McCrae, 1). John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario Canada. He was the second son of Scottish immigrants, David McCrae and Janet Simpson Eckford McCrae. His father was a woollen manufacturer. He began to write in Guelph College Institute. John was always a remarkable natural attraction for people and animals. When he was fourteen he joined the Highfield Cadet Corps. “When he was sixteen, he graduated from the Guelph Collegiate Institute and won a scholarship to the University of Toronto, where he studied for three years. He was forced to take a year off due to severe asthma, a chronic illness he would struggle with for the rest of his life.”(John McCrae ,1)
John McCrae put his schooling on pause to fight in the Second Boer War in South …show more content…
People may not find McCrae very significant, but he made a huge impact not only in the poetry world, but also in his everyday actions. One of his most significant poems was, In Flanders Fields. “Today, McCrae’s poem continues to be an important part of Remembrance Day celebrations in Canada and Europe, as well as Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebrations in the United States” (McCrae). The poem has become a key piece for the holidays we celebrate to remember our soldiers. McCrae graduated from the University of Toronto in 1898 with a bachelor’s degree in medicine. (McCrae) McCrae focused on medicine for most of his life poetry was more or less a hobby until his later years. “As a physician, he worked at Toronto General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, McGill University, the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Montreal General Hospital, and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal.” (John McCrae