Exposure Quotes Flashcards
All their..
“All their eyes are ice.”
Technique: Metaphor.
Meaning: Describes the dead soldiers, symbolizing the emotional numbness and physical coldness of death in the trenches.
We turn…
“We turn back to our dying.”
Technique: Collective pronoun and inevitability.
Meaning: Highlights the shared suffering of the soldiers and their resignation to death, emphasizing the futility of their situation
The poignant…
“The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow…”
Technique: Oxymoron.
Meaning: Contrasts the usual hope associated with dawn with the soldiers’ despair, showing how war distorts natural cycles and emotions.
For love…
“For love of God seems dying.”
Technique: Religious imagery.
Meaning: Suggests the soldiers feel abandoned by God, reflecting their loss of faith and the spiritual desolation caused by war
Sudden…
“Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.”
Technique: Alliteration and onomatopoeia.
Meaning: The alliteration mimics the sound of gunfire, breaking the oppressive silence and emphasizing the constant danger the soldiers face
Dawn massing…
“Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army.”
Technique: Personification and imagery.
Meaning: Dawn, typically a symbol of hope, is portrayed as an enemy, reinforcing the idea that nature is as much of a threat as the war itself.
But…
“But nothing happens.”
Technique: Repetition.
Meaning: Reflects the futility and monotony of war. The soldiers are trapped in a cycle of waiting, highlighting their psychological torment
Our brains…
Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us
Technique: Personification and sibilance.
Meaning: The wind is personified as a hostile force, emphasizing the soldiers’ suffering. The sibilance mimics the sound of the wind, creating a chilling effect.
Slowly…
“Slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires”
Metaphor: The soldiers’ “ghosts” represent their spiritual and emotional emptiness. They are living corpses, drained of life by war.
Imagery: The “sunk fires” symbolize the warmth and comfort of home that is now out of reach. The phrase “glozed with crusted dark-red jewels” evokes the image of dying fires, symbolizing fading hope.
Themes: This captures the soldiers’ longing for home and the inevitability of death.
