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Exposure (1918)
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
Story
• Soldiers in the trenches of World War One are awake at night, afraid of an enemy attack.
• However, nature seems to be their main enemy – it’s freezing cold, windy and snowing.
• The men imagine returning home, but the doors are closed to them (literally and metaphorically).
• They believe that sacrificing themselves in the war is the only way of keeping their loved ones at home safe.
• They think to return to thinking about their deaths in icy, bleak trenches.
Language
• Bleak Language: The poem includes lots of bleak imagery to remind the reader of the men’s pain, the awful
weather and the lack of hope for the soldiers. Assonance, onomatopoeia and carefully chosen verbs add to the
bleak mood and make the descriptions vivid/distressing.
• Personification: Nature is repeatedly personified, making it seem the real enemy in the war.
• Suffering: There are reminders of the real, physical pain that the soldiers experience, as well as their exhaustion
and fatigue – even thinking about home is painful for the men as they’re not welcome there.
• Boredom: There’s a sense of frustration at their situation – they’re “Worried”, “Watching” and waiting, but
“nothing happens” and the men are left to contemplate their own deaths.
• Hopelessness: The soldiers are helpless against the power of nature and there is nothing they can do to change
their situation – the poem offers little hope of a future for the men.
Quotations
• “Our brains ache, “in the merciless iced east winds that knive / us...” – L1-2: Opening immediately
demonstrates a collective suffering; nature is personified and appears to be attacking the soldiers.
• “Wearied we keep awake because the night is silent…” – L3: Ironic that the cannot sleep with silence – shows
soldiers are on edge; repeated use of ellipses hint soldiers are waiting for something to happen.
• “Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous,” – L5: Lots of different emotions; soldiers are
confused.
• “But nothing happens” – L6: Simple sentence; reflects boredom and tension.
• “The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow…” – L12: Dawn, usually a sign of hope, is compared to am
army – there is no hope.
• “We only know war lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy.” – L13: Suffering is all the soldiers know, tri-
colon creates emphasis.
• “Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.” – L17: Sibilance mimics whistling sound of bullets
flying.
• “We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, / snow-dazed,” – L24-25: Soldiers reflect on what
they previously thought would happen.
• “Slowly our ghosts drag home” – L29: Ghosts suggest death (close to dying).
• “Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn; / Nor ever suns sile true on child, or field, or fruit.” –
L31-32: Soldiers believe they’re sacrificing themselves for life to be preserved at home.
• “For love of God seems dying.” – L38: Soldiers’ love of God is disappearing or they feel that God’s love for
them is dying.
• “Shrivelling many hands, puckering foreheads crisp.” – L40: Vivid image of what exposure to the cold does
to their bodies.
• “But nothing happens.” – L43: Final line repeats line 6 – the soldiers essentially wait to die but nothing ever
happens in the stalemate of war, so they only survive to suffer further.
Exposure (1918)
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
Story
• Soldiers in the trenches of World War One are awake at night, afraid of an enemy attack.
• However, nature seems to be their main enemy – it’s freezing cold, windy and snowing.
• The men imagine returning home, but the doors are closed to them (literally and metaphorically).
• They believe that sacrificing themselves in the war is the only way of keeping their loved ones at home safe.
• They think to return to thinking about their deaths in icy, bleak trenches.
Language
• Bleak Language: The poem includes lots of bleak imagery to remind the reader of the men’s pain, the awful
weather and the lack of hope for the soldiers. Assonance, onomatopoeia and carefully chosen verbs add to the
bleak mood and make the descriptions vivid/distressing.
• Personification: Nature is repeatedly personified, making it seem the real enemy in the war.
• Suffering: There are reminders of the real, physical pain that the soldiers experience, as well as their exhaustion
and fatigue – even thinking about home is painful for the men as they’re not welcome there.
• Boredom: There’s a sense of frustration at their situation – they’re “Worried”, “Watching” and waiting, but
“nothing happens” and the men are left to contemplate their own deaths.
• Hopelessness: The soldiers are helpless against the power of nature and there is nothing they can do to change
their situation – the poem offers little hope of a future for the men.
Quotations
• “Our brains ache, “in the merciless iced east winds that knive / us...” – L1-2: Opening immediately
demonstrates a collective suffering; nature is personified and appears to be attacking the soldiers.
• “Wearied we keep awake because the night is silent…” – L3: Ironic that the cannot sleep with silence – shows
soldiers are on edge; repeated use of ellipses hint soldiers are waiting for something to happen.
• “Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous,” – L5: Lots of different emotions; soldiers are
confused.
• “But nothing happens” – L6: Simple sentence; reflects boredom and tension.
• “The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow…” – L12: Dawn, usually a sign of hope, is compared to am
army – there is no hope.
• “We only know war lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy.” – L13: Suffering is all the soldiers know, tri-
colon creates emphasis.
• “Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.” – L17: Sibilance mimics whistling sound of bullets
flying.
• “We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, / snow-dazed,” – L24-25: Soldiers reflect on what
they previously thought would happen.
• “Slowly our ghosts drag home” – L29: Ghosts suggest death (close to dying).
• “Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn; / Nor ever suns sile true on child, or field, or fruit.” –
L31-32: Soldiers believe they’re sacrificing themselves for life to be preserved at home.
• “For love of God seems dying.” – L38: Soldiers’ love of God is disappearing or they feel that God’s love for
them is dying.
• “Shrivelling many hands, puckering foreheads crisp.” – L40: Vivid image of what exposure to the cold does
to their bodies.
• “But nothing happens.” – L43: Final line repeats line 6 – the soldiers essentially wait to die but nothing ever
happens in the stalemate of war, so they only survive to suffer further.
