Exposure By Wilfred Owen

The Holocaust is arguably one of the most horrific events in human history. As the last Jewish survivors are passing away from old age, the importance of Holocaust related documentation is going to be imperative in teaching the next generations about the monstrosities that went on during this time. In the 1960 novel, Night, Elie Wiesel utilizes several literary devices, including the symbology of nighttime, motif of religious practices, and theme of father-son relationships, in order to emphasize the atrocities of the Holocaust specifically for Jews. Wiesel’s first hand experience in concentration camps allows for a vivid retelling of what many people had to endure.

In these four chapters there is important theme that stood out to me and how it made a more important meaning in their respective chapter. The three themes is sorrow, regret, and overcoming that was very important for the soldiers to feel to move on in life.

‘Exposure’ is a war poem written by Wilfred Owen in 1917 which describes how it felt like to be a soldier fighting war in the winter season. Owen focuses on the weather and shows how they are suffering more from the cold than getting wounded and hurt from the enemy which is not typical in war poetry. He has used a lot of figurative language and literary techniques to portray the cold and the soldiers’ feelings.

In war poems, war is always condemned, dispraised and demonstrated as a futile and tragic event. In both poems, "War Photographer" by Duffy and "Exposure" by Owen, poets illustrate their suffering and acrimony of conditions of war. "War Photographer" is an inspiration of the friendship of the poet with a photographer of war. It is also an illustration of the brutality of war and the apathy of those who might see the photos in newspapers. Whereas, Exposure is a poem written by a solider who was honoured for his bravery and then was killed in the battle; therefore, Exposure has more authenticity.

“I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions.” (5)

Eco-critics ask questions such as whether or not ‘Everything is connected to everything else’, in order to explore the realms of human thought. In relation to Wilfred Owen’s poems; Futility, Spring Offensive, and Exposure, this theory that all living things are interconnected is a multifaceted one. Nature is used heavily as a centralised motif in each of them, albeit in different ways, in order to represent a range of both internal and external battles Owen’s soldiers are forced to undergo during active service in the war. The soldiers are also depicted to depend on, as well as exploit their rural surroundings in equal measure, particularly concerning military action.

The first theme, “war cannot change who a person really is at their core,” recurs during several incidences which reinstates the significance. For example, Ben tries to make Ringer smile despite being in the midst of the end of the world. When Cassie and Sammy reunite, he goes back to his five-year-old self despite his being in boot camp for months prior, and lastly, Cassie and Evan flirt

In the story "The Things They Carried" Tim voices that the mental burdens outweigh all of the physical pain and weakness. Many of soldiers carried the emotional baggage of the men who will die. The emotional baggage that the soldiers carry such as fear, grief, and love; these were all intangible but carried lots of mass and weight on the soldiers. The fear and the responsibilities far outweigh all of the physical torture that the soldiers must endure in order to stay alive, each soldier has a little bit of hope that they may return home.

Themes are universal and can be shared within multiple items, text, motivation, etc. In the historical novel, Bull Run, by Paul Fleischman, the Union song, “When This Cruel War Is Over,” by Charles Carroll Sawyer, and the Confederate Song, “God Save The South,” by Earnest Halpin and Charles W.A. Ellerbrock all share a common theme. War can inflict many different emotions when thinking about war or being directly involved in a war. It doesn’t matter if the emotions or shared within a society or only kept to themselves, people still experience this.

Imagine, a world where nothing looks as it should. The amount of hate so high, it’s practically unbearable. Everyday you wake up with this feeling that you’re going to die; sometimes you don’t even fear this happening. In the book “Night” the author Elie Wiesel takes the reader to a place in time that they wouldn‘t ever want to journey to. He gives you a picture of the real gruesomeness and terrifying circumstances that came from the Holocaust. Wiesel tells of his time spent at the Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Though the book is only a little over one-hundred pages, you are able to realize the tragedy of a teenage boy, losing his family, as well as losing his faith, and sense of self. Going through all these truly terrible misfortunes in this book, it’s clear that there are many certain messages that come from this book. The statement that Elie Wiesel’s “Night” is one the most powerful and moving stories to ever have been told can not be argued with.

Owen uses a metaphor:"waiting for dark", which shows the reader that the man has nothing to do. This emphasises how the character is very lonely with nothing to do, no one to talk to and nothing to keep him from his thoughts, which shows the reader the dull, endless life that he has been forced to live. "dark" is a metaphor for death: the man feels as though his life is so pointless that he is just waiting for death, which emphasises how bland and dull his life

The theme is also present when he talks about how God has given us the ability of choice and determination. This relates to the theme because God is trusting in us that we will do the right thing and follow him. Finally, the theme is present in the third paragraph with the bridge keeper. It’s present because he doesn’t follow the orders he is given. Then he regrets that when thousands of people die. This is an example of how after we die and don’t end up where we want, we regret that because we had full control of our actions. If only we would’ve trusted in Christ, we would’ve ended up where we

Although there are several themes throughout the book, the major theme is courage. Courage is displayed not only by

The lack of mercy, especially involved with war, has a profound influence on the mentality of a person. In this context, the lack of compassion has driven soldiers to become cold to the atrocities of war. Owens personal experience with this very concept has allowed him to be able to investigate it in a personal and dynamic way. ‘Insensibility’ by Wilfred Owen depicts the desperate struggle of the human mind to adapt to horrific experiences. In the first world war, shocking, unimaginable scenes were seen like clockwork, such as being shot, blown up and gassed.

Owen continues writing, “Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, / As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. / In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, / He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning” (13-16). These lines from Owen’s poem emphasized the dreadful atrocity of WWI: Chemical Warfare. The word “pane” means “A framed sheet of glass in a window or door.” Owen used the word pane to describe the two clear glass lenses of the gas mask. The description by Owen of green-colored gas figuratively provides the reader an illusion of being underwater; however, chlorine gas floating in the air is literally green in color (CDC). Chlorine gas kills its victims by reacting with water in the lungs to form hydrochloric acid. This strong acid deteriorates the lining of the lungs and causes its victims to drown while standing on dry land (Fitzgerald 613). Owen knew this particular soldier was doomed because of the lethality of inhaling poisonous chlorine gas. Nonetheless, government propagandists refused to reveal the horrifying reality of inhumane deaths caused by chemical warfare. If this truth were disclosed, people would realize that soldiers were expendable objects with no guarantees of a dignified death.