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Exposure - Coggle Diagram
Exposure
Key quotes
"But nothing happens"
- The combination of anaphora in this quote, alongside vivid imagery, creates an anti-climax that reflects how the soldiers constantly lie in wait of something yet there is nothing, linking to the futility of the First World War
- Anaphora of this phrase all through the poem suggests that throughout the entire reading nothing in the war has happened. The paradox of lack of action yet constant vigilance had just as significant an impact on the soldiers as the war itself
"Our brains ache, in the iced east winds that knive us"
- Owen describes the winds as "merciless" and that they "knife" them, showing nature as the real enemy as while the enemy are also trapped in trenches, nature can break through man made defences and cause immeasurable damage
- Use of ellipsis at the end of this line is another point where the waiting and watching of the soldiers is emphasised. This forces the reader to wait and feel the frustration of the soldiers in the trenches and to feel empathy for them
- By mentioning their 'brains', Owen focuses on the psychological impact of the hostile environment
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Structure and form
Structure
- Cyclical structure of poem, with repeating line (but nothing happens) at the very end of the poem emphasizes that nothing happened during the entirety of the poem's timeframe
- The final line is also anaphora, which leads Owen questioning the purpose of them being there. Criticising maybe not all wars but unnecessary ones
- Caesura used to separate war and home with barriers "slowly our ghosts drag home"
Form
- Consistent rhyme scheme allows fifth line of each stanza to stand out "but nothing happens" emphasizes monotony of war
- Use of pararhyme (semi-rhyme) creates unease and lack of satisfaction with the poem, showing the tension and dissatisfaction with war
- Powerful imagery juxtaposed with the same line at the end of every stanza creates anti-climax, links to soldiers having to stay constantly alert despite nothing happening, highlighting futility of war
Similar poems
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The Prelude
Similarities
- Nature is presented to be an inescapable force in both poems. The natural imagery in “rocky cove”, “mountain echoes” and “craggy ridge” permeates the poem. There is similar recurring imagery in exposure in “mad gusts”, “rain soaks” and “flowing flakes”. This serves to highlight the overwhelming influence of nature which changes the perspective of the listener, causing them to realise the speaker, and their own insignificance.
Differences
- Wordsworth gives nature power due to its great expanse which is shown in the visual imagery of the “horizon’s utmost boundary” and “a huge peak”. In exposure however, nature’s power comes from it’s sheer aggression which is created by the violent connotations of “iced east winds that knive us” and “Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army”.
Context
- Written by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918), in 1917, whilst he was in the trenches
- Owen was training to be a priest before the war, so his disillusionment with the war and his own religion is emphasised (for love of God seems dying)
- Owen, like many young men, were not ready for the horrors of war
- Owen died just one week before armistice