Exposure-Wilfred Owen

EXPOSURE

• Its a war poem written during the winter of 1916 by Wilfred Owen
• The main themes are war, weather, religion, death and isolation

The theme of weather is introduced in this stanza; it is personified: "winds that knive us." This portrays the weather as an enemy that the soldiers cannot battle. Alliteration is used "wearied we keep awake" to show the anticipation of a horrific event and how the soldiers have to constantly be prepared for the enemy. The juxtaposition between weary and awake shows the poor physical state of the soldiers. Sibilance is used "silence senties" which shows the whispering that is necessary throughout the silence. The phrase "but nothing happens" suggests all of their anticipation is in vain and they have not faced an enemy yet.

"Mad gusts" in the first line depicts the weather. The "twitching agonies of men" is shown by the weather in this section; pathetic fallacy is used and it highlights the low morale of the soldiers. The simile "like a dull rumour" suggests that the weather is the real enemy and that the violence is a…