Exposure

Question 1

Why did Wilfred Owen write this poem

Answer 1

He fought in the trenches and wanted to show how harsh and pointless war really is

Question 2

The main ideas 1

Answer 2

• Soldiers are waiting in the freezing cold trenches, not fighting - just suffering

Question 3

The main ideas 2

Answer 3

• The poem shows how war isn’t always about action - it’s long, painful waiting, and dying slowly from the cold

Question 4

Key thoughts

Answer 4

• The soldiers start to lose hope and feel numb - emotionally and physically
• Many of them die, and nothing changes

Question 5

“But nothing happens.”

Answer 5

This is repeated to show how useless and never-ending it all feels

Question 6

Themes

Answer 6

• Suffering
• Nature vs. man
• Futility of war
• Loss of hope

Question 7

“Our brains ache”

Answer 7

The soldiers are developing psychological problems. The noise and terror of the war has caused a mental illness known as ‘shell shock’ or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Question 8

“We cringe in holes”

Answer 8

The poet makes us think that the soldiers are like frightened animals. The words ‘cringe’ and ‘holes’ remind the reader of how a small scared animal might behave and where it might live.

Question 9

“on us the doors are closed”

Answer 9

The soldiers are thinking ahead to what lies in store for them.The soldiers cannot get back to their homes. That particular door is shut to them forever and they will almost certainly die in battle.

Question 10

the repetition in the poem

Answer 10

With the theory of them developing PTSD the repetition could represent the terrors and traumas repeating and a never forgetting terror that will stay with them