exposure Flashcards
who is exposure by
owen
why is owen different to previous war poets
had first hand experience in ww1
what was owens aim in his poetry
to show the horrors of trench warfare
how is the weather portrayed as brutal
“merciless iced east winds that knive us”
- sibilance: hissing of wind
- personification: deliberate hostility
what does the refrain mean
“but nothing happens”
- shows that as the soldiers wait they are slowly picked up by the brutal weather but they do not realise and believe that nothing is happening
how do the soldiers view the war
“like a dull rumour” - disconnected - no reason to be dying - life wasted for nothing
why does the refrain change
“what are we doing here?”
- to ponder the reality and point of war - meaningless to them
how does owen personify the weather
“her melancholy army” - sad but lethal
how does owen explore memory
“forgotten dreams” - weather has nulled minds leaving them forgetting the point of the war in the first place
“blossoms trickling” - remembers beauty amid horrors of war
how does the refrain change again
“is it that we are dying?” - soldiers finally realise extent of damage being done to them and believe the memories are them dying
how does owen explore how they will be treated at home
“shutters and doors, all closed” - believes that they are so dead and forgotten there is nothing left for them
how does owen question religion
“our love is made afraid” - the soldiers lose in faith in a god that could put them through these horrors
“love of god seems dying” - they are in a land without faith as their love is dying with them
how does nature finally overtake the soldiers
“half-known faces” - forgotten in the elements - loss of humanity
“eyes are ice” - nature has taken over everyone
