Exposure Flashcards
what is the poem about?
soldiers in trenches in world war 1 at night terrified of the enemy, however nature seems to be the bigger enemy. they imagine turning home but they know it is not possible
how does the structure of the rhyme represent the experience of the soldiers?
rhymes are often half-rhymes showing how war offers no comfort or satisfaction. Rhymes are jagged to reflect their confusing & fading energy
what does each stanza end with?
a half line - leaves a gap which represents the lack of hope and activity
how does the structure show how there is no real progression through the poem?
the last stanza ends with the same words as the first stanza represents the absence of change
what is the effect of questions in the poem?
the first question answers the second question “what are we doing here”
“is it that we are dying?”
what metaphor refers to the living and dead men?
“all their eyes are ice” - shows how they have been overpowered by nature & hints that living men can no longer feel emotion
what quote represents the bullets flying?
“sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence” - sibilance
what poems could you link to this?
bayonet charge - reality of war
london - absence of hope
what are the attitudes in this poem?
suffering, boredom, hopelessness
how is boredom shown?
frustration- “worried” , “watching” , but “nothing happens”
what quote shows the vivid image of how the cold effects the soldiers?
“shrivelling many hands”
