Wilfred Owen's 'Exposure' - Study Notes

Wilfred Owen's "Exposure" - Study Notes

• Poem Overview: "Exposure" depicts the agonizing experience of soldiers in WWI trench warfare, focusing on the psychological toll of constant, futile waiting.

• Opening Stanza Theme: The soldiers endure intense physical and mental hardship, marked by biting wind, exhaustion, and a heightened awareness of their surroundings while also being uncertain about what will happen next. The suspense and constant anticipation create a sense of dread.

• Futility of War: The poem underscores the pointlessness of the war, highlighting how soldiers' efforts are often met with nothing. This repetitive nature creates a sense of aimlessness and psychological strain.

• Soldiers' Motivation: Soldiers perceive their duty to protect the future happiness of their families and society. They believe war is necessary for this purpose; a belief the poem critiques.

• Structure & Style:

  • Each stanza follows a similar structure: a strong opening sentence describing a specific experience, followed by emotive vocabulary and details, and concluded with the repeating anti-climax: "But nothing happens."
  • The rhyme scheme (ABBAC) contributes to the tension, mirroring the fluctuating intensity of the soldiers' experience—the predictability gives way to the expected climax that never arrives.
  • Pararhyme: The use of pararhyme, where consonant sounds are similar but vowel sounds are not, enhances the poem's sense of nervous tension; the soldiers are perpetually on edge.

• Personification: Owen uses personification to emphasize the hostile, human-like qualities attributed to nature:

  • "winds that knive us"
  • "mad gusts"
  • "Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army"
  • "air that shudders"
  • "pale flakes with fingering stealth"

• Importance of the Ending: The poem's ending mirrors the beginning, emphasizing the cyclical and futile nature of the conflict. It reinforces the sense of frustration and the lack of resolution, reflecting the soldiers' repeated experience of anticipation followed by void.

• Poet's Background: Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was a British soldier and poet whose own experiences in WW1 profoundly influenced his work. He initially intended a career in the church but changed path because of his dissatisfaction with the church's perceived lack of community care. His poetry often grapples with the horrors and meaninglessness of war.

• Connecting Poems: The poem explores themes of war futility, similar to "Bayonet Charge," "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and "Remains," and possibly comparisons to poems dealing with the true realities of war.