1. Exposure
Wilfred Owen

2. Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knife us . . .
Metaphor describes how it is the weather that is harming / killing the soldiers.
Ellipsis causes the reader to stop, and to read this first stanza slowly.
Personification, describes how brutal the weather was
Alliteration is soft, adds to sleepy tone.
Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knife us . . .
Wearied we keep awake because the night is silent . . .
Low drooping flares confuse our memory of the salient . . .
Worried by silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous,
But nothing happens.
Watching, we hear the mad gusts tugging on the wire,
Like twitching agonies of men among its brambles.
Northward, incessantly, the flickering gunnery rumbles,
Far off, like a dull rumour of some other war.
What are we doing here?
Imagery of far away battle
Highlights the sense of futility of war.
Personification makes the wind the enemy. Also metaphor.
Simile helps to create imagery of violence, pain and suffering.
Aural imagery of war.
Simile creates a sense of detachment from the war that they are part of.
Rhetorical questions add to the sense of futility and detachment.

3. The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow . . .
Double use of emotive language adds to the deeply sad tone of the start of the poem.
Personification allows the time of day to be given an emotion. There is no hope in the new day.
Tricolon. This is not a poetic technique, but the power of three is used here to build the sense of all surrounding misery.
Metaphor is used to describe the successive attacks of the weather, as if it were an actual army.
The poignant misery of dawn begins to grow . . .
We only know war lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy.
Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army
Attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey,
But nothing happens.
Sudden successive flights of bullets streak the silence.
Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow,
With sidelong flowing flakes that flock, pause, and renew,
We watch them wandering up and down the wind's nonchalance,
Personification helps to make dawn the attacking enemy.
Repetition emphasises futility.
Alliteration / Sibilance is used to change the tone. There is a sudden burst of action.
Imagery of a blanketing and deadly snow storm.
Softer alliteration changes the tone.
Personification describes the enemy, the wind, as uncaring.
Repetition emphasises futility.

4. Pale flakes with lingering stealth come feeling for our faces—
Oxymoron is created by contrasting the peaceful idea of snow lingering, with the stealth of an enemy fighter.
Contrasting imagery sets up the difference between present and past, war life and home life.
Imagery of snow fall
Personification
Metaphor is used to create Spring like imagery that is of home.
Pale flakes with lingering stealth come feeling for our faces—
We cringe in holes, back on forgotten dreams, and stare, snow-dazed,
Deep into grassier ditches. So we drowse, sun-dozed,
Littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses.
—Is it that we are dying?
Slowly our ghosts drag home: glimpsing the sunk fires, glozed
With crusted dark-red jewels; crickets jingle there;
For hours the innocent mice rejoice: the house is theirs;
Shutters and doors, all closed: on us the doors are closed,—
We turn back to our dying.
Rhetorical question sets tone of confusion between life and death.
Metaphor describes this dream about going home.
Onomatopoeia contrasts happy sounds of home with violent sounds of war.
Imagery of the warmth, and life, of home is in contrast to the cold images of war.
Punctuation shifts the tone and tense back to the present reality.
Very specific imagery of war time mourning, where shutters were closed to indicate respect and loss.
This short sentence is a snap back to the reality of war after a pleasant dream. The emotive meaning of it is in contrast to the emotions described at home. This changes the tone for the rest of the poem.

5. Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn;
Metaphorical tricolon, listing things that represent life and growth.
Personification is describing how the sun will never smile on anything, or bring life again.
Personification compares the kind, warm fires of home, to the fatal coldness of war experience.
Emotive language is used to contrast love of god in the past, and fear of him in the present.
Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn;
Now ever suns smile true on child, or field, or fruit.
For God's invincible spring our love is made afraid;
Therefore, not loath, we lie out here; therefore were born,
For love of God seems dying.
Tonight, His frost will fasten on this mud and us,
Shrivelling many hands, and puckering foreheads crisp.
The burying-party, picks and shovels in shaking grasp,
Pause over half-known faces. All their eyes are ice,
But nothing happens.
Considering Owen’s context, this line is deeply emotional. It describes his complete loss of faith due to his war experiences.
Born to die as part of God’s plan.
Capitalisation means “God’s frost”. Placing direct blame on Him for the death of men.
Vivid imagery of men freezing to death.
Imagery. In death, the men are barely recognisable to their friends.
Metaphorical imagery of the dead, who have frozen to death.
This final repetition emphasises Owen’s belief that the war is totally futile. It also highlights that nothing is being done to try to save these lives despite their horrific deaths.

6. Exposure About Themes Emotions / Mood Audience Form / Style
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EXAMPLE
About
Themes
Emotions / Mood
Audience
Form / Style
Poetic Devices