Page 2: Exposure by Wilfred Owen - Analysis of Second Half

The second page continues the analysis of Wilfred Owen's "Exposure", focusing on the latter half of the poem. This section delves deeper into the themes of disillusionment, loss of faith, and the overwhelming power of nature over man.

The analysis highlights Owen's use of imagery to contrast the soldiers' current situation with fantasies of warmth and comfort at home. The line "Slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires, glozed / With crusted dark-red jewels" is examined for its poignant depiction of the soldiers' longing for home.

Highlight: The repetition of "For love of God seems dying" emphasizes the loss of faith experienced by the soldiers in the face of unrelenting hardship.

The poem's final stanza is analyzed in detail, noting the intensification of the soldiers' suffering as "Tonight, this frost will fasten on this mud and us, / Shrivelling many hands, puckering foreheads crisp."

Quote: "The burying-party, picks and shovels in shaking grasp, / Pause over half-known faces. All their eyes are ice, / But nothing happens."

This powerful closing image is interpreted as a representation of the traumatic and terrifying nature of war, with soldiers burying their comrades whose faces are barely recognizable.

Vocabulary: Glozed - Glossed over or having a shiny surface.

The analysis concludes by reinforcing the poem's central themes of the futility of war, the power of nature over man, and the loss of faith and hope in extreme circumstances.

Example: The repeated line "But nothing happens" throughout the poem is identified as a key device emphasizing the monotony and seeming pointlessness of the soldiers' suffering.

This detailed examination of "Exposure" provides valuable insights for students studying Wilfred Owen's poetry for GCSE English Literature, offering a comprehensive understanding of the poem's themes, techniques, and historical context.

Page 1: Exposure by Wilfred Owen - Analysis of First Half

The opening page introduces Wilfred Owen's poem "Exposure" and provides an analysis of its first half. The poem begins with the line "Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us...", immediately immersing the reader in the soldiers' suffering.

Highlight: The use of present tense creates a sense of urgency and drops the reader directly into the action.

Owen employs vivid imagery to describe the harsh conditions faced by soldiers in the trenches. The poem's structure and language choices are carefully analyzed:

Example: The line "Wearied we keep awake because the night is silent..." illustrates the constant state of alertness and anxiety experienced by the soldiers.

The analysis points out Owen's use of personification to emphasize the uncontrollable nature of the weather, which is portrayed as an enemy to the soldiers.

Quote: "Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army / Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey"

This personification of dawn as a military leader reinforces the theme of nature as an adversary.

Vocabulary: Salient - A military term referring to a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory.

The poem's use of rhetorical questions, such as "What are we doing here?", is highlighted as a technique to convey the soldiers' demoralization and confusion.

Definition: Sibilance - The repetition of soft consonant sounds, particularly "s" sounds, used here to mimic the sound of rushing bullets.

The analysis also notes the subversion of typically optimistic associations with dawn, as Owen portrays the passing of time as miserable for the soldiers.