GCSE English Literature

1. Exposure
Analysed By Anna

2. Context
 Wilfred Owen was a soldier in WW1.
 He died before the end of the war.
 He experience the front line horror.
 He was angry because the generals had comfortable living conditions whilst the
soldiers were in the damp, muddy and dangerous trenches.
 In the Battle of Somme, more than 60,000 British soldiers died and the front line
only moved 6 miles forward.
 The peom shows the people back home what war was really like.

3. “But nothing happens”
 It could convey him agonisingly waiting in the trenches.
 It could link to context the way that in the Battle of Somme they only moved 6
miles.
 It could also imply that when fellow soldiers die nothing happens because they
were already dead inside because of the war so no feelings are really felt.
 It could convey how nothing is done when someone dies because it becomes to
normal when soldiers are dying everyday.

4. “black with snow”
 This is a juxtaposition to convey the amount of death as it is associated with the
colour black.
 Also snow is usually white which can be associated with hope and life but the fact
that the snow is black could suggest that there is no hope or life in the war.
 “Black with snow” could convey how bad the conditions were in the trenches and
the describe the machinery that was used.

5. Links to other poems
 It can link to the poem ‘War Photographer’ as the word “exposure” can be linked to
light in photography.
 To finish her poem Carol Ann Duffy says “and they do not care” suggesting they
don’t take action on the photos that they are seeing as it doesn’t effect them.
Which can link the “but nothing happens” in Exposure.
 Exposure can link to the poem ‘Storm on the Island’ because that poem was written
about man against the elements of the weather which is was Exposure was about
as well because Owen felt that it was like a battle against the weather as well as the
real enemy.