The cornflower or le Bleuet de France – like the Remembrance Poppy in the UK – is the symbolic flower used by the French in memory of the victims and those who served in World War I.
Like the poppy, the cornflower flourishes in desolated land that has been devastated. From the trenches, the vibrant blue hue of the cornflower could be seen.
The sale of this tenacious flower funds support for disabled soldiers from previous wars and helps the families of those soldiers who have lost their lives.
The Bleuet de France is a potent symbol, representing the tragedy of war and the people who defend France.
Bleuets de France (1916) by Alphonse Bourgoin
Les voici les petits Bleuets,
Les Bleuets couleur des cieux
Ils vont jolis, gais et coquets,
Car ils n’ont pas froid aux yeux.
En avant partez joyeux;
Partez, amis, au revoir!
Salut à vous, les petits bleus,
Petits bleuets, vous notre espoir!
These here, these little Bleuets,
These Bleuets the color of the sky,
Are beautiful, gay, stylish,
Because they are not afraid.
Merrily, go forward,
Go on, my friends, so long!
Good luck for you, little blues!