exposure

Question 1

when was exposure set and how does this relate to the poet, wilfred owen

Answer 1

set in ww1, owen fought in the war and was diagnosed with PTSD. he returned to war and was killed just days before armistice day.

Question 2

what is exposure about

Answer 2

harsh conditions of war, sense of hopelessness felt by soldiers and conflict between propaganda and reality of war

Question 3

how are the stanzas in exposure structured to emphasise the futility of war

Answer 3

eight stanzas each with five lines
fifth line is shorter to emphasise importance. connects beginning and ends of poem to show nothing has changed

Question 4

how is the rhythmic structure disrupted by short lines in exposure?

Answer 4

the hexameter structure of the poem and the rhythym is disrupted by the short lines, many of which are rhetorical questions. Show his ptsd and how he is having recurring questioning thoughts, doubt?

Question 5

‘for love of god seems dying’
how does this juxtaposition relate to owen and why is it contrasting

Answer 5

love for god is eternal and undying, but the soldiers seem to be

owen uses contemporary listeners association of christianity with morality to show selflessness of soldiers

continuing to question his own evangelical christian beliefs

Question 6

‘littered with blossoms’
what does this juxtaposition show about nature?

Answer 6

nature is making him question whether the things that are typically seen as beautiful are really beautiful or just another sign of neglect and decay

Question 7

‘doors’ ‘closed’
what does this show about the effect of war on the soldiers

Answer 7

implicit- won’t be welcomed back home
explicit-reference to PTSD and how he will never be the same again and also how his life has changed permanently since joining the army

Question 8

‘frost will fasten’
what does this alliteration and pathetic fallacy show natures power?

Answer 8

that they are being trapped by the ice and coldness of war- could also show how he feels that he will die firing and it is not worth living anymore

Question 9

‘merciless…winds that knife us’
what does this personification show about the enemy?

Answer 9

suggests that Germany are not the actual enemy- it is the harsh weather conditions
power of nature is the real enemy and how if they want to survive its humans vs nature

Question 10

‘forgotten dreams’ how does this juxtaposition show the inner conflict in the poets mind?

Answer 10

it shows how they are slowly losing hope and confidence. they think that this will be the death of them and they can’t achieve anything else in life
contrasts what the propaganda was trying to tell people about soldiers in war