Exposure

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"Exposure" is a World War I poem by Wilfred Owen that vividly portrays the psychological and physical torment of soldiers enduring brutal trench conditions and the indifference of nature.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War I poem
poem
author Wilfred Owen
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
criticizes military leadership’s indifference
patriotic propaganda
romanticized views of war
firstPersonNarration yes
form lyric poem
genre war poetry
includedIn posthumous collections of Wilfred Owen’s poetry
influencedBy Owen’s own experience as a soldier
language English
movement war poetry movement
narrativePerspective collective "we" of soldiers
notableLine "Our brains ache, in the merciless iced east winds that knive us..."
period early 20th century literature
portrays cold weather as an enemy
mental exhaustion of soldiers
physical exhaustion of soldiers
soldiers exposed to harsh elements
refrain "But nothing happens."
rhymeScheme largely half-rhyme
setting Western Front
trenches
structure eight stanzas
studiedIn English literature curricula
subject World War I
indifference of nature
physical torment
psychological torment
soldiers’ suffering
trench warfare
technique alliteration
imagery
pararhyme
personification
theme death
despair
disillusionment
futility of war
loss of faith
nature’s indifference
suffering
waiting
tone bitter
bleak
somber
writtenDuring World War I

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Wilfred Owen notableWork Exposure