Exposure Flashcards
The poem is written from what perspective.
First person, it has many possessive pronouns, such as “we”, “us”, “our”
This hints at cllective (group) suffering of the soldiers in ww1. It also encourages the reader to share in their pain.
Rhthym
The peom is made up of five-line stanzas.
The ABBAC rhythm is repeated which represents the sameness of war.
What does the last line of every stanza do?
The last line of every stanza creates an unsettling feeling.represents how on the edge the soldiers were during the war.
Where was this written?
Ww1 on the front line, closest to the germans as possible to be.
“Our brains ache….
In the merciless iced east winds that knive us”
“But nothing happens”
Repetition of “but nothing happens throughout the peom gives the reader a sense of boredom caused by waiting.
Also hints at the pointlessness of war.
“All there eyes are ice”.
Metaphor.
This metaphor describes the extreme effect of weather that has over come the soldiers.
“Slowly our ghosts drag home”
Metaphor
This metaphor suggests that war has sucked all the life out of the soldiers and further reminds readers that they are on the brink of death.
“Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow”
Nature is presented as more damaging and deadly than the bullets.
The contrasting images of black and snow are unsettling. They highlight the horror of being exposed to the elements. They also highlight how close to death the soldiers are
“Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army…”
Personification
“Dawn, usually associated with ideas of lights and hope is here hostile and brings even more suffering.
Colour imagery
The colour imagery “grey” conveys ideas of despair and boredom.
“Ranks” is a military term and is repeated, reminding the reader that the weather is the soldiers enermy.
