Exposure

“Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us…

Wearied we keep awake because the night is silent…”

Ironic contrast: The expectation is that the danger in war comes from the enemy, but here, the danger comes from the winds. It's a terrible irony that nature itself is attacking the men. Nature's attack can be seen as a reaction to the barbaric nature of man, a merciless divine punishment for the horror of war.

Assonance: The repetition of "i" sounds in "in," "merciless," "ice," "winds," and "nervous" slows the rhythm, mimicking the drawn-out exposure the soldiers experience.

Extended lines: The lines are longer than expected, around 12 or 13 syllables, which mimics the length of time the men are exposed to the terrible conditions.

Challenging expectations: A silent night would usually make people feel safe and help them sleep, but here the soldiers stay awake because the night is silent. This suggests that in war, everything is turned upside down, and normal expectations no longer apply. The silence might suggest that the enemy is preparing to attack.

Alliteration: The alliteration of the "w" sounds in "we read we awake" draws out the time and conveys how tiring it is to stay awake.

Brains ache: The poem begins with "our brains ache" and later questions if the brain is suffering from illusions or letting go, choosing to think of happy memories as death approaches.

“Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army

Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey”

Nature as an enemy: The weather is depicted as an army, suggesting that the weather poses a greater threat than the German soldiers in the trenches. Nature is presented as attacking the soldiers as though they're invading nature through their man-made war.

Pathetic fallacy: The weather is described as melancholy, reflecting the soldiers' miserable emotions. It also suggests that nature itself is miserable and reluctantly attacking the men to expel the horror of war.

Endless attack: The repetition of "ranks and ranks" and the assonance of the "a" sounds in "ranks and attacks" imply that the attack from nature is endless, and the soldiers are helpless against it.

Shivering: The ranks of clouds are described as shivering, which conveys the shivering of the soldiers on the ground.

Metaphor: Nature attacking the soldiers is conveyed through metaphors, where nature is presented as an army.

“So we drowse, sun-dozed,

Littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses.

—Is it that we are dying?”

False sense of peace: The opening, "So we drowse, sun-dozed," depicts a mirage of peace in the sunshine. Usually, sleepiness would be pleasant, but in the context of the poem it is dangerous because the harsh, cold conditions could lead to freezing to death.

Ironic seduction: The sibilance in "so we drowse, sun-dozed" is seductive, but it's ironic, because nature is seducing the soldiers to sleep so that it can kill them.

Distorted imagery: The description of blossoms as "littered" is a negative description that suggests refuse or rubbish. The blossoms are associated with the snow. The sound of the wind is described as the sounds of the blackbird, but they're not pleasant sounds; instead, they are irritating.

Slowing of the mind: The speaker is able to feel his mind slowing down and having illusions, such as snow appearing as blossom, and questions whether his brain is damaged and not thinking straight. This reflects a detachment from reality as they succumb to the cold.

Existential questioning: The question "Is it that we are dying?" suggests the brain may be realising that the cold is killing him and choosing to think of happy memories as a last resort.

“Therefore, not loath, we lie out here; therefore were born,

For the love of God seems dying.”

Apparent justification of sacrifice: On the surface, the lines suggest that the soldiers do not hate (are "not loath" to) lying out in the trenches because they are defending their home. It implies that their birth was meant for this purpose: to fulfil their patriotic duty by defending their families and country.

Critique of patriotism: There is a suggestion that the soldiers are lying to themselves when they claim there is a good patriotic reason for fighting. Wilfred Owen was critical of the war and viewed it as a "disgusting idea to die for one's country". The second meaning of "lie" suggests that the soldiers are deceiving themselves about their motivations and the worthiness of their sacrifice.

Dying faith: The line "For the love of God seems dying" suggests a decline in religious faith. It can be interpreted as a metaphor suggesting that love, especially the love of God, is fading away. War serves as evidence of this decline; if people truly loved God, they would not engage in war, as it contradicts the commandment "thou shalt not kill".

Owen's background: Wilfred Owen was training to be a vicar before the war, making the war appear as an attack on his Christian faith.

Contrasting Perspectives: This quotation can be contrasted with other poems that deal with images of God, such as War Photographer and Charge of the Light Brigade. Charge of the Light Brigade supports patriotic propaganda, unlike Exposure.

“Pause over half-known faces. All their eyes are ice,

But nothing happens.”

Literal and metaphorical death: The phrase "half-known faces" conveys the literal death of soldiers. It suggests the men have died quickly, perhaps after only a month or two at the front line, so there hasn't been time to get to know them. It is also possible that the soldiers have been deliberately avoiding getting to know each other to avoid the pain of loss. They remain anonymous faces, making their deaths less emotionally damaging to the survivors. The line "All their eyes are ice" describes how the men are literally and metaphorically dying.

Loss of empathy: "All their eyes are ice" is a metaphor describing the burial party who have become unfeeling and lost their ability to empathise due to the war. Their identities and personalities have become ice, leaving them unable to feel.

Futility and inaction: The line "But nothing happens" highlights the inaction and lack of resolution to the soldiers' plight. Wilfred Owen may be suggesting that death at the hands of the winter is worse than being shot in battle and that they would prefer an actual battle to the incessant cold. It is also possible that Owen wants a political solution to the war, or release from the war through death.

The poet's purpose: Wilfred Owen seeks to accuse his readership of indifference to the suffering caused by the war, evident in the refrain "but nothing happens".

Form and structure?

Stanza structure: Each stanza consists of five lines of roughly equal length, ending with a short final line. This consistent structure creates a sense of control. However, this control is undermined by the inconsistent rhyming scheme.

Rhyme scheme: The poem employs half rhymes (e.g. L1 “us” & L4 “nervous”). This can be interpreted as unsettling to the reader because it creates an expectation of resolution that is ultimately unmet. The lack of neat rhyme reflects the lack of a neat solution to the war.

Refrain: The repetition of the line "but nothing happens" at the end of stanzas acts as a refrain. This highlights the futility and inaction that Owen perceives in the situation. It emphasizes his main point and conveys a political message. Owen seeks to accuse his readership of indifference to the suffering caused by the war, evident in the refrain "but nothing happens".

What compares to Exposure?

Kamikaze: Both poems explore the idea of nihilism and the importance of memory. Kamikaze shows that a culture can abandon life and glorify death, which is what Wilfred Owen complains about in Exposure. Both poems address the after-effects of war and share similar themes.

Remains: This poem exposes the after-effects of war on the individuals who participate in it. It also makes a political point, highlighting that soldiers are not looked after, and attempts to evoke sympathy for the soldiers.

Charge of the Light Brigade: This poem was written to support patriotic propaganda, which is the opposite of the purpose of Exposure. Charge of the Light Brigade aims to promote the cult of the warrior and death as a noble sacrifice, offering a contrast to Exposure's themes. However, there are subtle hints in Charge of the Light Brigade that suggest the war is wrong. Both poems are obsessed with the sound of the poem and are written to be read aloud.

War Photographer: Both poems explore the damaging effect of war on those who report on it. Wilfred Owen is also writing as a reporter, aiming to educate the public at home about the realities of war. Both poems attempt to accuse their readership of indifference to foreign suffering and question the role of the media in either perpetuating or preventing war.