Exposure Flashcards
(7 cards)
Form of Exposure
8 half-rhymed stanzas (ABBA) with refrain ‘But nothing happens’; pararhyme creates unease; cyclical structure reflecting futility.
Quote: “Merciless iced east winds that knive us”
Interpretation 1: Nature personified as merciless enemy.
Interpretation 2: Harsh sibilance and violent verb mimic cutting wind.
Quote: “But nothing happens”
Interpretation 1: Refrain stresses pointless waiting.
Interpretation 2: Flat tone shows emotional numbness and despair.
Quote: “Slowly our ghosts drag home”
Interpretation 1: Soldiers feel half-dead already.
Interpretation 2: Slow rhythm echoes exhaustion and creeping death.
Key Themes in Exposure
Futility of war, power of nature, mental and physical erosion.
Main Message of Exposure
War is endless suffering with no heroic victories; nature is an indifferent force.
About Wilfred Owen
WWI soldier and poet; wrote vividly about the horrors of trench warfare and the futility of conflict.
