exposure

• when was exposure written?

  1917
• who was wilfred owen?

  the person who wrote exposure and he was also a soldier during ww1
• what does the poem exposure reveal?

  his anger at the wars waste of life and horrific conditions of being in the frontline in the trenches
• what was winter of 1917 like

  bitterly cold
• who are the 2 enemies in exposure?

  the army and the weather
• what does the title exposure suggest?

  to be left unprotected which in this circumstance is the weather and you are subjected to danger and will eventually die in the cold
• what kind of poem is exposure?

  war and nature poem
• what poems does exposure link with?

  • storm on the island
  • bayonnet charge
  • war photographer
• what are the context quotes of exposure and what do they show?

  • "far off, like a dull rumour of some other war" - biblical reference to matthew who says "you will hear of other wars and rumours of war" which foreshadows the end of the world which is apocalyptic imagery
• what is a key quote of exposure and what does it show?

  "attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey" - shows gloominess of battlefield + ironic because when dawn rises it should be an opportunity for a new day but for the soldiers its the same all the time + the word "grey" refers to the germans wearing grey uniforms
• what does "sudden successive" show?

  • the s sound is soft which means it is sibilance
  • this stresses the sounds of war e.g the whistling of war
• what are some quotes that describe the weather?

  • "iced east winds" - violent personification
  • "air that shudders black with snow" - juxtaposition because black shows death and white is pure
• what is another quote of exposure and what does it show?

  "the doors are closed" - c sound shows assonance which stresses how welcome home is and shows the soldiers dont belong at home anymore
• what is the structure of exposure?

  • 8 stanzas shows there is no real progression and it reflects the monotony of war
  • written in present tense and uses 1st person plurals which shows the experience is being shared by all the soldiers
  • each stanza ends with a half line which mirrors the lack of activity and hope
• how is language used in exposure?

  • black imagery - reminds us of the mens pain and awful weather
  • personification - makes the weather seem like the real enemy in the war
  • assonance - adds to bleak mood to make it more distressing
• what are the themes of exposure?

  • nihlism - extreme negativity which suggests nothing in life has value which makes it seem like the soldiers think death would be a relief from their present torture
  • exposure- mental suffering and the exposure to the cold makes the soldiers vulnerable
• what is the atmosphere of exposure?

  • boredom - sense of frustration at their situation meaning the men are left to contemplate their own death
  • suffering - real and physical pain
• what does exposure express?

  the futility of war and its pointlessness