Exposure poem analysis. Exposure (Wilfred Owen poem) Study Guide: Analysis 2022-10-16

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"Exposure" is a poem by Wilfred Owen that describes the horrors of war and the devastating effects it has on soldiers. The poem is written in first person, with the speaker being a soldier on the front lines of battle.

The poem begins with the speaker describing the harsh winter weather that they are enduring on the front lines. The soldiers are "half-dead" and "frozen to the bone," and they huddle together for warmth as they try to survive the cold. The speaker describes the "deadly chill" of the wind, which seems to symbolize the hopelessness and despair that the soldiers are feeling.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the terror and violence of war. They describe the "blood-shod" feet of the soldiers, suggesting that they are constantly walking through the bloodshed of their fallen comrades. The speaker also mentions the "haggard shadows" of the soldiers, which suggests that they are worn down and exhausted from the constant fighting and exposure to danger.

Despite the terrible conditions that the soldiers are facing, the speaker finds moments of hope and beauty in the midst of the chaos. They describe the "red red wound" of the sun setting, which provides a moment of beauty in an otherwise grim and desolate landscape. The speaker also reflects on the "wilderness of shells," which suggests that even in the midst of war, there is a sense of wildness and freedom that can be found in the natural world.

Overall, "Exposure" is a powerful and poignant poem that captures the devastating effects of war on the human psyche. Through vivid imagery and poignant language, Owen is able to convey the horror and desperation of soldiers on the front lines, as well as the moments of hope and beauty that can be found even in the darkest of circumstances.

Exposure Poem Analysis

exposure poem analysis

The author uses imagery of snowflakes falling on the soldiers to symbolize how they are falling helplessly in battle. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Mesmerized by the snowflakes that creep in on their faces, the soldiers seek for shelter from the menacing storm. The opening They exist in their own world, and yet, as we can see from the stanza, they seem to scarcely exist at all. Having completely resigned to their fate, they harbour no ill-feelings and resentment towards god. However, to these soldiers, these bullets seem harmless as compared to the perilous snowstorm that surrounds them.

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Analysis of: Exposure

exposure poem analysis

The noise of war surrounds them at all times and they feel like they have nothing left to live for. Scheme ABBAC XDDXX EFFXC XEXXC XXGXH BXXGH XXXXH AXXXC Poetic Form Metre 101100100111111 1011010101110 1101011010010100 10110101010010 11010 1011011101010 1101001101110 100100010010010 11101011101 111101 010100110111 1101111101110 110001010010 0111011100111 11010 1001011101010 110101110111 11101111001 11110010101101 11010 111100111011010 11011101010111 10111011111 1011010101010 1111110 1010111101101 110111010101 11001001010111 100111110111 11111010 110111011101 110111111111 11010011011101 1111111101 1111110 111111011101 11010111 010010101001101 110111011111 11010 Closest metre Iambic hexameter Characters 2,087 Words 373 Sentences 23 Stanzas 8 Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 Lines Amount 40 Letters per line avg 41 Words per line avg 10 Letters per stanza avg 205 Words per stanza avg 49. This particular quote is especially efficient because it seems to capture the whole thematic expanse in one highly detailed sentence. In addition, Owen has used another effective diction in this line, which is knifes. Stanza Five Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces— We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed, Deep into grassier ditches. In the third stanza we see that this long night of waiting finally nears its end as dawn breaks over the horizon.

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Exposure by Wilfred Owen Poem Analysis

exposure poem analysis

Wilfred Owen uses a particular structure to explain the daily routine of men fighting as well as using a range of metaphors to help the reader visualise this haunting sight. . Exposure Wilfred Owen Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us. The winds, which make leaves rustle, could make them confused because they did not know whether the sounds came from the enemy approaching or it was really the wind. But we used to have tea sent up to us, up the communication trench. . This poem is an extremely moving and powerful depiction of the horrors of war.

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Exposure analysis Essay

exposure poem analysis

Snow begins to slow and the soldiers are slowly succumbing to a dreamlike state, slowly dying and dreaming of their homes. Secondly, it might suggest that the wind is cold-hearted, and does not consider once when it harms and kills them. As they continue their vigil, they hear the wind blowing through the barbed wires, sounding like an agonised man trapped within the sharp brambles of the wire. The winter was so cold that I felt like crying. Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey, But nothing happens. While the soldiers were battling, the author says that another country was assisting another country in the war.

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Exposure by Wilfred Owen Poem Analysis

exposure poem analysis

Although this poem is about war, the first line itself reveals to the reader that the main theme is in fact winter. Low drooping flares confuse our memory of the salient. . The last two stanzas hint at death and become more bitter than any of the others, revealing another layer of meaning in this powerful wartime poem. Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces— We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed, Deep into grassier ditches. The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow.

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Exposure (Wilfred Owen poem) Summary

exposure poem analysis

So we drowse, sun-dozed, 24 Littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses. . What is now more familiarly known as a foxhole takes on an entirely different sort of connotation when described merely as a hole and the cringing seems to describe not just the expressions within it, but the physical act of entering. Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence. We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed, Deep into grassier ditches. It is glimpsed, not attained. This shows that the wind just weakened and killed anyone on its way, no matter who it is.

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Exposure (Wilfred Owen poem) Quotes

exposure poem analysis

One of the leading poets during the time of World War I, Owen was himself a soldier and most of his works thus deal with the theme of war and its effects. This is extremely effective because it shows how little power that they have over themselves and what happens to them, especially since there is not really anything that they can do about it. The doors of their home are closed for them now and there is no hope of going back there. The loss of faith in men and the sense of futility they harbor with respect to what they are doing and why they are doing that is one of the central themes of the piece. The author uses many symbols in this piece such as snowflakes, bullets, and flowers. They feel so powerless that they cannot even get out of bed for fear of death. This is effective in conveying the message to the readers that nature was ironically also a problem to the soldiers because it implies that the wind, which is sometimes expected to help the soldiers dry their sweat and cool them down, could cause much trouble to the soldiers, making them worry.

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Exposure (wilfred Owen) Poem Analysis [vlr0dzoq2zlz]

exposure poem analysis

As this truth dawns on them, their thoughts return to their current reality of the war in which their death is certain. The burying-party, picks and shovels in shaking grasp, Pause over half-known faces. Devoid of all hope, they are certain that the end is near, believing that this war, and the imminent death, was probably the purpose for which God had sent them on earth. Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous, But nothing happens. . At night, the war stops and the mice can sleep happily. The soldiers are in a situation where the author describes it as, "Incessantly," and their answer to that is, "Nothing.

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Exposure Poem Summary and Analysis

exposure poem analysis

. . . Even death has become so much a part of their daily life that it does not kindle any sort of feeling in these soldiers. The repetition of "nothing" really brings out its meaning. The fierce wind swirls the snowflakes all around them, trapping them in the blizzard. Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow, With sidelong flowing flakes that flock, pause, and renew, We watch them wandering up and down the wind's nonchalance, But nothing happens.

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