Exposure

• “Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us…”

  Owens personifies the weather as a weapon, equating nature with an enemy, showing that the soldiers suffer not only from combat but from the unrelenting, brutal environment. The use of the collective pronoun "our" creates a shared experience of suffering, enhancing the sense of camaraderie but also helplessness. The sibilance in “merciless iced east winds” mimics the sound of the wind, evoking a sensory experience of discomfort. The metaphor “knive us” portrays the wind as an active aggressor, inflicting violence, which blurs the lines between nature and war, suggesting the physical and psychological effects of conflict extend beyond human opposition
• “But nothing happens.”

  This refrain is repeated throughout the poem to emphasise the futility and stagnation the soldiers endure. It highlights the mental torment of waiting and the lack of closure or progress. The anticlimactic tone of the phrase creates a haunting sense of existential dread, reinforcing the psychological conflict and emotional numbness bred by war. In a deeper reading, the repetition becomes ironic—something does happen: the men are slowly deteriorating. Thus, Owen critiques the romanticised notion of war by presenting a slow, agonising, and invisible enemy—time.
• “The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow…”

  The oxymoron “poignant misery” reveals the emotional toll of war, suggesting a beauty in the suffering or a sorrow that is profound and lasting. Dawn, often symbolic of hope and new beginnings, is twisted into a painful experience, implying that even time’s progression brings no relief. The personification of misery growing portrays emotional anguish as a living force, inescapable and increasing, illustrating the soldiers’ deep psychological trauma as a result of prolonged exposure to war’s conditions.
• “All their eyes are ice…”

  This metaphor solidifies the dehumanisation of the soldiers. “Eyes” typically connote life, emotion, and connection, but here they are frozen, lifeless. The phrase encapsulates the final, chilling effect of war: emotional and physical death. It could also represent the psychological detachment soldiers adopt to cope with trauma. The harsh, monosyllabic phrase mimics the harshness of their reality. Owen captures how conflict strips humanity and leaves behind emotional desolation.