Exposure

"Exposure" by Wilfred Owen

Context

Wilfred Owen was a soldier and poet during World War I, known for his stark and realistic portrayals of the horrors of war. "Exposure" describes the extreme conditions faced by soldiers in the trenches, focusing on themes of suffering, hopelessness, and the relentless power of nature.

The Poem

Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us . . .

← Personification

Wearied we keep awake because the night is silent . . .

Low drooping flares confuse our memory of the salient . . .

Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous,

But nothing happens.

← Repetition

Watching, we hear the mad gusts tugging on the wire,

Like twitching agonies of men among its brambles.

Northward, incessantly, the flickering gunnery rumbles,

Far off, like a dull rumour of some other war.

What are we doing here?

The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow . . .

We only know war lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy.

Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army

Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey,

But nothing happens.

Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.

← Sibilance

Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow,

With sidelong flowing flakes that flock, pause, and renew,

We watch them wandering up and down the wind's nonchalance,

But nothing happens.

Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces—

We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed,

Deep into grassier ditches. So we drowse, sun-dozed,

Littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses.

—Is it that we are dying?

Slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires, glozed

With crusted dark-red jewels; crickets jingle there;

For hours the innocent mice rejoice: the house is theirs;

Shutters and doors, all closed: on us the doors are closed,—

We turn back to our dying.

Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn;

Nor ever suns smile true on child, or field, or fruit.

For God's invincible spring our love is made afraid;

Therefore, not loath, we lie out here; therefore were born,

For love of God seems dying.

← Juxtaposition

Tonight, this frost will fasten on this mud and us,

Shrivelling many hands, and puckering foreheads crisp.

The burying-party, picks and shovels in shaking grasp,

Pause over half-known faces. All their eyes are ice,

← Metaphor

But nothing happens.

5 quotes + analysis to achieve a grade 9

1. Repetition: "But nothing happens"

• Analysis: The repetition of "But nothing happens" throughout the poem emphasises the soldiers' sense of futility and hopelessness. It reflects the stagnation and the waiting that characterise trench warfare, where the enemy is often the harsh weather rather than direct combat.

2. Personification: "The merciless iced east winds that knive us..."

• Analysis: The personification of the wind as "merciless" and "knive(ing)" them, highlights the brutality of nature as an enemy. This emphasises the theme that nature is as deadly and unforgiving as the war itself, adding to the soldiers' suffering.

3. Sibilance: "Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence"

• Analysis: The sibilance in this line creates a sharp, hissing sound that mimics the sound of bullets cutting through the air. It enhances the tension and the constant threat faced by the soldiers, even when the battlefield appears quiet.

4. Metaphor: "All their eyes are ice"

• Analysis: The metaphor "All their eyes are ice" conveys the emotional numbness and deathly stillness of the soldiers. It reflects how the harsh conditions and prolonged exposure to suffering have drained them of life and warmth.

5. Juxtaposition: "For love of God seems dying"

• Analysis: The juxtaposition of religious faith with the bleak reality of the soldiers' situation highlights their loss of hope and faith. It suggests that the horrors of war have led them to question the presence of a benevolent deity, deepening the poem's sense of despair.

Form & Structure Points

• Regular Stanzas: The poem's consistent structure reflects the monotonous and unending suffering of the soldiers.
• Pararhyme: Owen's use of pararhyme (half-rhyme) creates a sense of unease and incompleteness, mirroring the soldiers' unsettled state.
• Repetition: Reinforces the themes of futility and despair, emphasising the relentless and cyclical nature of trench warfare.

Example Paragraph for a Grade 9 Answer:

In "Exposure," Owen explores the effects of war through repetition and personification. The repeated phrase "But nothing happens" emphasises the soldiers' sense of futility and hopelessness, reflecting the stagnation of trench warfare. Personification in "The merciless iced east winds that knive us..." portrays nature as a brutal enemy, adding to the soldiers' suffering. Sibilance in "Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence" mimics the sound of bullets, enhancing the tension on the battlefield. The metaphor "All their eyes are ice" conveys the emotional numbness of the soldiers, while the line "For love of God seems dying" suggests a loss of faith. Through these devices, Owen effectively conveys the physical and psychological toll of war on soldiers...