Exposure Flashcards
Rhyme scheme
The consistency of the rhyme scheme allows the fifth line to stand out, emphasising its message. The consistency of the rhyme scheme shows the monotony of war, as does the regular stanzas. Owen builds rich imagery throughout the stanza and then the simple fifth line creates an anti-climax. This mirrors the way in which the soldiers must stay constantly alert, yet nothing ever happens. This highlights the futility of war.
“but nothing happens”
The last line of the first and last stanza is “but nothing happens” which connects the end and beginning of the poem to emphasise the fact that nothing has happened in that time.
“what are we doing here”. “but nothing happens”
The speaker repeats “but nothing happens” to emphasise the futility of war. The situation remains the same despite their suffering so they aren’t achieving anything. This leads the speaker to question “what are we doing here”. It is often interpreted that Owens wasn’t objecting to war itself but against unnecessary wars and poor leadership.
“slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires”
Owen uses punctuation to separate home from the trenches. The colon used in “slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires” depicts the soldiers to be imagining the warmth of their homes. Yett there is a barrier between the two places as they cannot return and must instead stay and fight in the cold.
“sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence”
Sibilance is used in “sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence” to position nature as the enemy. The sibilant consonants mirror the sound of gunfire which shows the reader that the snow is the real threat as snowflakes slice through the air in the same way as bullets. This breaks the silence previously described. It appears the battle the soldiers were waiting for is not with the opposition but with nature instead.
“On us the doors are closed”
Owen conveys the despondency felt by the soldiers who believe that they are being forgotten. The metaphor “On us the doors are closed” implies that as those at home in safety carry on with life as normal, they forget about the soldiers dying for them. Owen laments the military leaders’ view of soldiers as dispensable by depicting the soldiers as indistinguishable from mud in “this frost will fasten on this mud and us”.
Fear
The soldiers are unable to sleep due to their fear driven constant state of alertness. The speaker states that “wearied, we stay awake because the night is silent” as if they are scared to sleep even though “nothing happens”. The second there is a lapse in their concentration, the “dull rumour of some other war” poses a threat.
