Exposure - Owen

Question 1

Theme: Conflict/power of conflict

                                     ‘We turn back to our dying’

Answer 1

Context

• Power of conflict has made them believe all that they’re good for is SLOW DEATH and no one cares about them.
• Conflict is so powerful it leads the soldiers to believe all that they have to look to is DEATH.

Question 2

Theme: conflict/power of conflict

                                        ‘Is it that we are dying?’

Answer 2

Language device- rhetorical question

• It implies that the conflict is so bad that it has led them to have a REAL ACCEPTANCE OF DEATH and no fear of death.
• All the conflict has BRAINWASHED them to believe death is all there is, they have no hope, they feel like they’re dying anyway.
• Conflict is so powerful that it is CONFUSING the soldiers.

Question 3

Theme: Conflict/power of conflict

                                      ‘But nothing happens’

Answer 3

Structure- 8 equal stanzas.

-It ends with a half line at the end of each stanza e.g ‘but nothing
happens’.

• This tells us Conflict/ power of conflict is leaving them waiting and losing hope.
• REPETITION symbolises the emphasis of how the PAIN DOESN’T END, the conflict has the control.

Question 4

Theme: Power of nature

                        ‘Merciless iced east winds that knife us’

Answer 4

Context

• Explores the power of nature by describing the weather and comparing it to Mans weapons ‘knife us’ to show how powerful it is.
• PERSONIFICATION of the weather, described as ‘merciless’.

Question 5

Theme: Power of Nature

                                    ‘Shivering ranks of grey’

Answer 5

Language device- the rain is personified to get across that nature is more powerful than Man.

-‘Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey’
This implies the soldiers are HELPLESS.
WEAKER than nature.
Being ATTACKED by the weather/nature.

Question 6

Theme: Power of nature

                                       ‘Flowing flakes that flock’

Answer 6

Structure- Alliteration used throughout the poem, to describe and emphasise the power of the weather.

• Snow is described with alliteration to emphasise the cold powerful weather and how it is
  BLANKETING the soldiers beneath the snow.

-The soldiers are stuck beneath it/ they are trapped/ have no way out.

Question 7

Theme: Effect of war on people

                                         ‘Our brains ache’

Answer 7

Context - Explores the effect of war on people by describing how the effect of war leaves the soldiers feeling PHYSICALLY and EMOTIONALLY DRAINED.

-These feelings= the reality of war.

Question 8

Theme: Effect of war on people

                                      ‘Is it that we are dying?’

Answer 8

Language device - Rhetorical question

• Shows the CONFUSION of the soldiers.
• Conditions are so bad they feel drained and all they can think about is dying.
• They no longer know what’s normal.
• Puts emphasis on the effect war has on people.

Question 9

Theme: Effect of war on people

                                    ‘But nothing happens’

Answer 9

Structure- there is a half line at the end of every stanza.

-Implies sameness throughout the poem,
Nothing is happening = the effect on the soldiers.

• CONFUSION
• LEFT WAITING
• BRAINWASHED
• NO HOPE