exposure Flashcards
strucutre and form
Consistency of rhyme scheme means that the fifth line always stands out. This means that the message in this line is emphasised and is more striking to the reader.This is significant as it serves to communicate Owens’s emotions in the given stanza, often providing poignant insights into his inner thoughts on how his life has been reduced to nothing.• The consistency of the rhyme scheme also communicates the monotony of the war, with minimal changes or variations. The four lines preceding the final line are always poetic and rich, meaning that the fifth line always functions as an anti-climax with the eventual realisation that nothing is happening. Owens uses bathos to emphasise this effect (anti-climax created by lapse in mood from sublime to the trivial). • This shows how the soldiers must always remain vigilant even though nothing happens creating this endless mental torture as they are tortured by every moment, they’re on the battlefield: tortured by nothingness, the weather and the prospect of being attacked by the enemy.
Pararhymes:
Atmosphere of discomfort with half-rhymes that lead to the poem feeling slightly uneasy.”Knife us” “nervous”
• Halt rhymes leave the reader nervous and unsatistied, as the readers are always left expecting a rhyme but never getting it, perhaps to mirror how the soldiers are expecting conflict and it is the nervy anticipation that is playing on their minds.• This sense of unease throughout the poem is what Owens intends to try and communicate an emotion of war to the reader.Owen utilises pararhymes to ‘expose’ that the unease and anticipation of war was more mentally torturous then the batfle itself- soldiers in battle did not have to wait for the death, this way it was imminent and quick. The deterioration in the trenches was far from this.• This attempt to communicate an emotion of war to the reader may also come to try and educate the people back home.wens tells us in his preface that the “poetry is in the pity”, perhaps a referral to the true poetry in his poems being the pity that they incite from the reader.
also tells us that “all a Poet can do today is warn”, perhaps alluding to how his poetry is a warning to the true nature of war and the lies that are peddled about war.
Structure:
“But nothing happens” used to frame the poem as well as being interspersed throughout.
• Shows the continuous vicious cycle of war and suffering as well as highlighting that there is no true end to the soldier’s plight. Also emphasises the relentless cycle of waiting for one’s death
Caesura
Owens employs punctuation to try and separate home and freedom from the trenches. “Slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires”.This serves as a barrier, showing how the soldiers are dreaming of a release that is not guaranteed and that they are separated from.
• The caesura is also used to place emphasis on the relentlessness of their suffering: “Northward, incessantly,”. The comma after incessantly creates a moment for the reader to pause and absorb how their suffering and pain was incessant.
Our brains ache in the merciless iced east winds that knive us”
Metaphor: The phrase “our brains ache” metaphorically equates the soldiers’ pain to a mental agony, not just physical discomfort. This suggests a psychological toll that war takes on the soldiers, drawing attention to the mental strain of their circumstances. The use of “brain” highlights the intellectual and emotional exhaustion caused by the extreme conditions, a suffering that is both mind and body-related.
• Collective pronoun (“our”): The choice of “our” rather than “my” emphasizes that this suffering is shared by all soldiers. The universality of their experience reinforces the idea of collective trauma. The soldiers are not isolated in their suffering; instead, it is a shared ordeal, heightening the sense of helplessness and futility.
• Effect on the reader: This creates an immediate sense of empathy. The reader is made to feel the weight of the soldiers’ collective pain, drawing them into the harsh reality of war. The emotional tone sets the stage for understanding the psychological and physical impact of warfare.
2. “Merciless iced east winds”:
• Adjectives (“merciless,” “iced”): The use of the adjective “merciless” underscores the relentlessness of the conditions, positioning the wind as an unforgiving, almost hostile force. The wind is not simply cold, but cruel, suggesting that the soldiers are being punished by the natural world, emphasizing the inhumanity of their environment.
• Connotations of “iced”: The word “iced” further develops the harshness of the wind. It suggests frozen, unyielding coldness, indicating not just physical discomfort but freezing pain that numbs the body and mind. The ice also connotes stagnation, as if the soldiers are trapped in a moment of eternal coldness, unable to escape either the weather or the war.
• East winds: The specific reference to east winds could allude to the wind’s origin in the Eastern Front of World War I, where many soldiers were stationed. This geographical detail intensifies the feeling of being in an unfamiliar, hostile environment. The east wind is traditionally associated with harshness in literature, emphasizing the soldiers’ exposure to alien and relentless forces.
• Effect on the reader: This imagery conjures a visceral reaction of discomfort and fear. The cruel, freezing wind embodies the threat of nature, reinforcing the vulnerability of the soldiers, who are as defenseless against the elements as they are against the enemy.
3. “That knive us”:
• Personification: By describing the wind as something that “knives” the soldiers, Owen personifies the wind, giving it an almost malicious intent. The verb “knive” portrays the wind as a weapon, an active, almost aggressive force that attacks the soldiers. This personification mirrors the brutality of war, where the environment itself becomes a threat to survival.
• Violent imagery (“knive”): The verb choice is particularly violent, likening the wind to a blade. This creates a sharp, painful image that emphasizes the soldiers’ suffering. The wind is not simply uncomfortable, but actively wounding them, both physically and metaphorically. It amplifies the sense of constant assault—the soldiers are not just enduring the cold; they are being cut down by it.
• Effect on the reader: This violent imagery creates a lasting impact on the reader, intensifying the sense of suffering and helplessness. The wind is no longer just a passive element of the environment; it is a predatory force, and the soldiers are its victims. The reader is left with a profound sense of the relentlessness and futility of war, where even nature seem to be part of the assault.
Sibilance: The repetition of the “s” sound in “merciless,” “iced,” “east,” and “winds” creates a hissing effect, which mimics the sound of the wind itself. The sibilance reinforces the chilling, cold nature of the wind, making it seem more piercing and aggressive. This also evokes a sense of discomfort and unease, as if the wind is whispering or hissing at the soldiers, adding a layer of hostility to the environment.
• Atmospheric effect: The sibilant sounds are almost serpentine, giving the wind a sinister quality, as though it is deliberately menacing the soldiers. The hiss of the wind can also be linked to the idea of silence and suffocating stillness on the battlefield, where every breath, every movement, feels restricted by the relentless, suffocating cold.
• Effect on the reader: The sibilance creates a harsh auditory experience, forcing the reader to feel the sharpness of the wind. It accentuates the painful environment in which the soldiers are trapped, enhancing the sense of agonizing struggle. The reader is drawn into the atmosphere of suffocating cold and psychological torment, making the soldiers’ suffering feel even more immediate and inescapable.
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Writer’s Intentions:
• Psychological and Physical Trauma: Through this vivid imagery, Owen seeks to convey the immense psychological and physical toll that the soldiers experience. The suffering is not just from the enemy but from the environment itself, reflecting how the soldiers are under constant attack and how war strips them of their humanity.
• Futility and Helplessness: The description of the wind as a knife suggests that nature itself becomes an enemy, mirroring the futility of the soldiers’ situation. The use of “merciless” and “knive” suggests that the soldiers’ pain is unavoidable and unending, emphasizing the meaninglessness of their struggle. Owen wants the reader to understand that the soldiers are not just fighting an enemy, but they are caught in an unrelenting struggle against forces beyond their control.
• Critique of War: Owen’s use of violent imagery here—nature itself being described as a weapon—reflects his anti-war stance. By showing the natural world as an aggressor, he critiques how war disrespects human life and makes victims of both men and the environment. The suffering of soldiers becomes almost indistinguishable from the indifference of nature, highlighting the pointlessness and brutality of war.
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Effect on the Reader:
• Empathy and Discomfort: This quote evokes a strong emotional response from the reader. The violence of the imagery—combined with the physical and mental pain described—forces the reader to confront the harsh realities of war. Owen’s portrayal of nature as a hostile force ensures that the reader does not see the environment as something separate from the war, but as part of the soldiers’ constant struggle.
• Sense of Helplessness: The phrase “knive us” reinforces the idea that the soldiers are helpless against forces far beyond their control, instilling a feeling of tragic inevitability in the reader. It forces them to acknowledge that the soldiers are not just engaged in battle with an external enemy, but are being relentlessly worn down by the environmental and psychological pressures of war.
“For love of God seems dying
Religious Connotations:
• The phrase “love of God” inherently links to Christian teachings and the central doctrine of divine love, symbolizing not just affection for God but a profound, selfless devotion that guides one’s moral compass. In Christianity, God’s love is often portrayed as eternal, unyielding, and sustaining — a source of hope and strength in times of despair. By invoking this, Owen draws on the idea that faith in God should be an enduring, powerful force. However, the dying of this love introduces a profound spiritual crisis, suggesting that the foundational belief systems that soldiers might have clung to for comfort are now crumbling under the brutality of war. This decay of spiritual vitality echoes theological concerns such as divine abandonment, where God’s perceived silence or lack of intervention prompts a loss of faith.
2. Metaphor of “Dying”:
• The verb “dying” serves as a metaphor for the decline of something once vital and pure. Dying here does not imply immediate physical death, but rather a gradual fading or decay, capturing the spiritual erosion caused by the violence, horror, and existential trauma of war. Just as the soldiers are slowly killed by the relentless cold and the savagery of battle, so too is their faith in God slowly extinguished, symbolising the moral death that accompanies their physical suffering. This metaphor suggests that the soldiers’ connection to the divine is being subsumed by the dehumanizing forces of war, just as their bodies are dehumanized on the battlefield.
3. Personification of Faith:
• The phrase “love of God seems dying” personifies faith and divine love by suggesting it is capable of dying like a human being. By personifying faith, Owen underscores its vulnerable and fragile nature. This suggests that, despite its divine roots, even the purest, most eternal form of love is susceptible to the harsh realities of life — especially the horrors of war. The personification of faith as something that can die intensifies the sense of despair; faith, once an unshakable pillar, is rendered just as fragile and impermanent as the soldiers themselves. This amplifies the idea of divine neglect, where faith is not just questioned but is actively suffocated by the environment of the war.
4. Juxtaposition of the Divine with Death:
• The juxtaposition of “love of God” with “dying” presents a stark contrast between life (divine love, which is meant to be eternal and sustaining) and death (the process of dying, which suggests a cessation of existence). In Christianity, love for God is meant to offer salvation, protection, and comfort. By placing the divine love of God alongside its death, Owen highlights the irony of the situation: the very force that should offer comfort to the soldiers has become impotent in the face of the unrelenting horrors of war. The death of faith creates a sense of moral and spiritual abandonment, reinforcing the futility of the soldiers’ plight.
5. Christian Imagery and the Problem of Divine Silence:
• The line may also refer to the concept of theodicy — the problem of reconciling the existence of a benevolent and omnipotent God with the suffering in the world, particularly during war. By implying that “love of God seems dying”, Owen could be addressing God’s silence or absence in the face of unspeakable suffering. This echoes the Biblical sense of abandonment, as seen in Christ’s crucifixion, when Jesus utters the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The soldiers’ experience of divine neglect parallels this, suggesting that, in the trenches of war, they are left to suffer without the divine intervention that might have once been expected. Their existential questioning of faith reflects the disillusionment that arises when religious ideals clash with the brutal realities of human conflict.
6. Impact on the Reader:
• The phrase “love of God seems dying” invites the reader to consider the fragility of faith in the face of relentless suffering. The decay of spiritual belief in such an environment conveys a deep sense of futility and hopelessness. It forces the reader to confront the idea that even the highest ideals — love for God, a source of solace and purpose — can be shattered by the dehumanizing force of war. The reader, through Owen’s powerful language, is confronted with the moral vacuum left when faith in God dissipates, leaving only the soldiers’ anguish and questioning.
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Writer’s Intentions:
• Owen’s use of religious imagery and metaphor in this line serves to critique the destructive impact of war on the human spirit, specifically the spiritual collapse that soldiers experience when faced with the horrors of battle. Through the personification of divine love as something that can die, Owen emphasizes how the soldiers’ suffering extends beyond their physical bodies, destroying their faith and undermining their moral certainty.
• Owen may also be reflecting on the disconnect between divine justice and the brutal reality of war. The dying faith could symbolize the death of idealism that soldiers might have carried with them when they first enlisted, only to have it disintegrate in the face of senseless death and suffering.
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Effect on the Reader:
• This quote’s religious undertones, coupled with the metaphor of death, evoke a powerful sense of tragic loss for the reader. The death of divine love suggests an abandonment so profound that the soldiers’ spiritual foundation is irreparably shattered. This line amplifies the reader’s empathy for the soldiers, forcing them to consider not only the physical costs of war but also the emotional and spiritual toll. By using religious imagery, Owen highlights the moral disillusionment that soldiers experience, leaving the reader with a profound sense of tragic futility.
Context
The poem was written in 1917 whilst Owen was fighting in the trenches which creates an authentic first person narrative as the poem was written by an actual soldier in the midst of conflict. In contemporary Britain, war was romanticised to the point that it had gained mythical status. This was reflected in most other war poetry at the time which focused on the honour of fighting. Owen dispelled “the old lie” by exposing the horrific reality of war.
But nothing happens
Juxtaposition of Expectation and Reality:
• The line “But nothing happens” creates a striking contrast between the reader’s expectation (of war leading to significant action, progress, or resolution) and the bleak reality that Owen portrays. This stark contrast between the anticipation of action and the inevitable futility of the soldiers’ experience mirrors the emptiness of war. The word “but” acts as a turning point, subverting the typical narrative of war where events, battles, or victories unfold. Instead, here, there is no change or movement, emphasizing the futility of their existence in the war. The soldiers remain stuck in a time loop of suffering.
2. Effect of Repetition:
• The simplicity and brevity of this line — “But nothing happens” — has a powerful impact on the reader. The lack of elaboration, the minimalist tone, makes the statement shocking in its starkness. The brevity reflects the tedium of the soldiers’ lives and their stagnation. War is typically imagined as a place of action, but in Owen’s representation, this phrase strips away any illusion of heroism or progress. The repetition of inactivity is perhaps one of the poem’s most effective tools, emphasising how time drags on without resolution.
3. Psychological Effects and Mental Torment:
• The line also exposes the psychological toll of war. While the physical hardships are present — cold, hunger, death — the mental suffering of enduring “nothing” is perhaps even more devastating. The phrase underscores the soldiers’ hopelessness. The phrase “nothing happens” suggests that no progress is made; the soldiers are trapped in an eternal state of limbo, both physically and mentally. Owen contrasts the idea of war as progress or resolution with the harsh reality of stagnation. The mental exhaustion of waiting for something to happen, knowing nothing ever will, leads to a profound sense of despair.
4. Dehumanization and Absence of Action:
• By describing the soldiers’ plight as “nothing”, Owen is also commenting on how war dehumanizes them. They are no longer individuals with agency or purpose, but simply figures in a frozen landscape. The lack of action here suggests that the soldiers’ lives have been reduced to mere survival, with no meaning, no future, and no hope. Nothing happens not just because of the physical conditions, but because the soldiers have been stripped of their humanity, and their existence is reduced to a bleak cycle of endurance.
5. Connotations of Stagnation:
• The word “nothing” here carries immense negative connotations. It suggests emptiness, meaninglessness, and futility. War is often depicted as a place of intense action and momentous decisions, but in Owen’s representation, nothing happens because the soldiers are subjected to a senseless, endless cycle of suffering. This conveys to the reader that no greater cause or higher purpose exists in the war; instead, the soldiers are locked in a pattern of purposeless existence.
6. The Implication of Death and Hope:
• The phrase “nothing happens” also carries the implicit critique of false hope. Soldiers often endure suffering with the expectation that something will change — that they’ll be relieved, rescued, or that victory will come. However, Owen strips away this hope by stating that nothing ever comes. The soldiers’ death or survival may feel inevitable, but there is no end to the torment. By using “nothing happens,” Owen suggests that war brutalizes and reduces men to the status of mere “things”, with no hope of meaningful change or escape.
7. Ironic Message of Futility:
• There’s an irony in this statement: war is supposed to be the ultimate event of action and change, but Owen’s soldiers experience the opposite — a profound nothingness. This emptiness reflects the horror of modern warfare, where action is replaced with the silent suffering of soldiers, who wait for death or some form of action, only to realize that nothing happens to change their situation. The irony here is that the soldiers long for anything to happen, even if it means death or conflict, as “nothing” is worse than the torment of waiting for something, anything, to break the monotony.
8. Contrast with Conventional War Narratives:
• In contrast to the glorified accounts of war, where soldiers take action and events unfold in dramatic arcs, “nothing happens” is Owen’s way of presenting a war stripped of its glory and heroism. There are no battles, no triumphs, no heroic moments. Instead, the soldiers are left to face long periods of inactivity, waiting in despair and fear. This stark representation serves to critique the way war is often glorified in the media and public imagination.
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Effect on the Reader:
• The simplicity of the line “nothing happens” is disorienting and haunting for the reader. It removes all sense of hope or expectation, forcing the reader to reflect on the wastefulness of war and the endless suffering it causes. The soldier’s pain is not just physical but psychological, as they realize that no change or resolution will come, making their suffering feel even more crushing.
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Writer’s Intentions:
• Owen’s use of the phrase “nothing happens” is designed to strip away the romanticized version of war. By presenting war as a place of stagnation and despair, where nothing changes, Owen critiques the notion of war as an avenue for glory or progress. Instead, war is shown to be a meaningless and cyclical experience, one that offers no resolution and no hope for those trapped within it. The soldiers’ endurance becomes a futile waiting game, where nothing ever improves — a powerful message about the horror and futility of war.
Message
The central message of Wilfred Owen’s “Exposure” is the futility and horror of war, particularly the emotional, psychological, and physical toll it takes on soldiers. Owen conveys the soldiers’ desperation, suffering, and helplessness as they endure not only the violence of war but also the brutal, merciless weather and emotional numbness of waiting. Through the repetitive structure and bleak imagery, Owen paints a picture of a war that strips soldiers of their humanity, leaving them trapped in a state of hopelessness where they face no resolution or meaningful end. The absence of action in the line “But nothing happens” symbolizes the stagnation and paralysis of both mind and body, as the soldiers are subjected to endless suffering without any possibility of escape. Moreover, Owen critiques the glorification of war, showing that the soldiers are not heroes engaged in noble combat, but rather victims caught in a pointless cycle of torment. Ultimately, the poem exposes the true cost of war — the destruction of the human spirit — and calls into question the senselessness of conflict that leads to no victories, only prolonged suffering.
