Page 1: Exposure by Wilfred Owen - Analysis of Stanzas 1-5
The opening stanzas of Wilfred Owen's "Exposure" immediately immerse the reader in the soldiers' grueling experience. Owen uses collective pronouns and vivid sensory imagery to create a shared sense of suffering.
The poem begins with "Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us..." This line introduces the central conflict between man and nature, with the wind personified as a cruel, attacking force. The use of "our" emphasizes the collective experience of the soldiers.
Highlight: The repeated refrain "But nothing happens" underscores the psychological torment of anticipation and inaction.
Owen employs powerful similes and metaphors to convey the soldiers' distress. For example, "Like twitching agonies of men among its brambles" compares the wind's effect on barbed wire to the painful deaths of soldiers.
Quote: "Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous"
This line illustrates the psychological strain on the soldiers, with silence becoming a source of anxiety rather than relief.
The poem's structure mirrors the soldiers' experience, with each stanza building tension only to end with the anticlimactic refrain. This technique effectively conveys the monotony and futility of their situation.
Vocabulary: Salient - A military position that projects into enemy territory
Owen uses weather imagery throughout the poem to symbolize the relentless assault on the soldiers. The "flickering gunnery" in the distance is compared to "a dull rumour of some other war," emphasizing the soldiers' sense of detachment and questioning of their purpose.
Example: The line "We only know war lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy" uses a list of three to emphasize the constant, oppressive nature of their environment.
The poem's themes of suffering, futility, and man's struggle against nature are powerfully conveyed through Owen's masterful use of language and structure.
