Hello.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson on analysing the poem "Exposure." I'm Ms. Sutherland and I'm really excited to study this poem with you today.

In this lesson, we are going to explore how Owen expresses his feelings about war in his poem "Exposure." We have four keywords.

Let's go through them together.

Nihilism is our first word.

Nihilism is a view that all traditional values are unfounded and that existence is meaningless.

We'll explore how this concept of nihilism is relevant to the poem "Exposure." Disoriented is our next word.

Disoriented means confused and unable to think properly.

Our next key word is syntax.

Syntax is the ordering of words in a sentence.

Poets may manipulate syntax to convey a certain message.

And futile, futile means incapable of producing any useful results; pointless.

Pause the video now and jot those keywords down.

So in today's lesson, we are going to start off by exploring nature as the enemy in "Exposure." We'll explore exactly how Owen presents nature as the enemy in this poem.

And then we're going to look at some of the other big ideas in "Exposure," in particular how this poem links to power and/or conflict.

So let's start off with exploring nature as the enemy in "Exposure." Now, I want you to open your anthology and we'll read the poem "Exposure" together.

"Our brains ache in the merciless iced east winds that knive 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? 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, but nothing happens.

Pale flakes with fingering 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.

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, this 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." I want you to highlight examples of Owen's use of natural imagery in this poem.

It's full of examples of natural imagery.

And I want you to discuss which example of natural imagery stands out to you the most and why.

Pause the video and complete that now.

An example of natural imagery that really stood out to me in that reading was, "With sidelong flowing flakes that flock, pause, and renew." I feel in that line, Owen is making the snowflakes feel as if they are a weapon.

Here's an example of how to annotate the effect of natural imagery.

We'll use the quote, "Our brains ache in the merciless iced east winds that knive us." Firstly, Owen personifies the wind as a predatory figure.

He's saying the wind is merciless.

The wind has no mercy on the soldiers.

The wind is intent to be cruel here.

We also have imagery of the wind kniving them, which shows the brutality of the weather in the trench, and reveals that the true enemy is the weather.

And "Our brain's ache" suggest nature's supremacy.

It has the capability to harm the young men mentally and physically.

Ache is suggestive of a long, tedious pain, and perhaps the ache the weather causes is actually worse than the sharp pain of being wounded, because an ache is something that never seems to go away.

And perhaps the soldiers in this trench suffer headache, brain fog and tension for long periods of time due to these harsh weather conditions.

Let's look at this.

"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." Let's try to annotate this segment here.

It's full of really interesting language choices.

Answer these questions as annotations with your partner.

The first question I want you to answer as an annotation is, why do you think Owen wrote this line in the way that he did? "War lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy." Pause the video and annotate with your partner now.

Perhaps Owen wrote that line in that way as a triplet with commas separating the clauses, to give the line a slow pace and repetitive rhythm which reflects the monotony and tedious nature of war.

How does Owen present the dawn here? Is it in line with what you'd expect? So Owen says, "Dawn massing in the east her melancholy army." Pause the video now and answer that question as an annotation.

Off you go.

Owen presents the dawn as a vicious and brutal figure, who is intent to cause harm on the soldiers by calling in her army.

And this is exactly, this is completely different to what I'd expect from the dawn, because to me dawn represents hope, represents new beginnings.

But Owen subverts those connotations of dawn here.

And the last annotation question is, what does Owen compare the rain to? The repetition of the word "ranks" suggests.

Pause the video and annotate that answer now.

Off you go.

So Owen compares the rain to ranks, and then a rank is a line of soldiers in the army.

So by using military imagery, Owen also gives the reign this brutal and threatening presence in the poem.

Now in the middle of your page, I want you to write down the most striking example of natural imagery that you picked out.

Answer the following questions to help you annotate it.

Firstly, what word, phrase or punctuation within the quote made it stand out to you? Why was this part particularly powerful? Which stylistic choices did Owen make here? And why did he make them? What effect did this quote have on you? And how was nature presented overall in this quote? Pause the video, write your quote down and annotate it now.

Owen's language choices and the way in which he describes nature in this poem is really striking.

I want to check your understanding now.

Which line shows the tedious nature of war? Is it, "Merciless ice east winds that knive us," "Pale flakes with fingering stealth come feeling for our faces," or "War lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy?" Pause the video and answer that question now.

Well done if you said, "War lasts, rain soaks, and clouds sag stormy." That line shows the tedious nature of war.

We said that because it involves a triplet, and the clauses are separated by commas.

That gives the line a slow pace and a monotonous rhythm, reflecting the tedious nature of war.

"Dawn attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey." This presents how the dreary weather is welcome, feared, relentless or discriminatory? Pause the video and answer that question now.

"Dawn attacks once more in ranks on shivering ranks of grey" presents how the dreary weather is relentless, much like the ranks in an army would be firing potentially relentlessly at the enemy.

This is how the rain falls too.

I'm going to put some statements on the screen.

Your practise task is to decide whether you agree or disagree with each of these statements.

The first one is, "Owen is frightened by the harsh weather conditions." Next, "Weather conditions are extremely disorienting for the soldiers." Three, "Owen perceives trying to stay alive in war as futile." And, "The true conflict in the poem is the British army versus the German army." Pause the video and decide whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Off you go.

I now want you to write an explanation justifying your decision.

Use supporting evidence from the poem to justify why you agree or disagree with each of those statements.

Off you go.

Let's go through some possible answers.

Here are some ideas.

Number one, "I disagree that Owen is frightened by the harsh weather conditions.

He says that they 'watch the flakes wandering up and down the wind's nonchalance.

' The fact they sit and watch makes it appear that the soldiers are used to these conditions.

All they can do is sits idly and watch.

Furthermore, the wandering evokes a sense of calm and does not make the snowflakes appear as a threat.

Owen could be suggesting that nature's flowing state mocks the soldier's suffering, or perhaps the soldiers start to view the harsh weather in a pleasant light to help themselves cope with their suffering.

Ultimately, the wind's nonchalance is suggestive of the soldier's similar attitude towards their dying." Number two, "I agree that Owen presents the weather as extremely disorienting for the soldiers.

The line, 'So he drowse, sun-dozed, littered with blossoms trickling where the blackbird fusses' is juxtaposed with the earlier 'snow-dazed.

' The syntax here is distorted to show the effects of sleep deprivation and hypothermia.

The soldiers are beginning to hallucinate that they are in the pleasant warmth of past memories.

Indeed, the jubilant springtime imagery of blossoms and blackbirds juxtaposes with the grey, lifeless reality of the trench to emphasise all that the soldiers have given up." Well done on that task.

I hope it's helped you formulate your own opinions about the poem.

Let's move on now to exploring some big ideas in "Exposure." What pattern do you notice between all of these quotes I'm about to show you? "Shutters and doors, all closed: on us the doors are closed." "For love of God seems dying." "We turn back to our dying." "Tonight, this frost will fasten on this mud and us." "Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn." And "But nothing happens, but nothing happens, but nothing happens." Pause the video and think about what pattern you notice in all of those quotes.

Off you go.

You may have said that in all of these quotes, arguably Owen expresses the nihilistic and hopeless attitudes of the soldiers.

We can see in all these quotes that the soldiers have given up hope, that they don't have any positive beliefs about the world anymore or their existence.

Why do you think the soldiers are nihilistic and hopeless? Pause the video and discuss that now.

The soldiers may be nihilistic and hopeless because when they signed up for the war, they potentially had this glorified image of it.

And then when they actually are in that war, it's the complete opposite to the story they were told.

Potentially, that is why they are nihilistic and hopeless.

How do the highlighted words here add to the intensity of the hopelessness and nihilism? The words highlighted are "us," "we," "our." Pause the video and discuss that now.

All of those highlighted words are collective pronouns, and they add to the intensity of the hopelessness and nihilism because they suggest that these hopeless and nihilistic attitudes reach every single person in that army.

No one is immune to those really powerful feelings.

So this nihilistic tone makes it seem that not one single person retains positivity or hope.

It makes it seem like they have all given up.

Now, what feeling did these snippets evoke when you read them? "For God's invincible spring," "suns smile true on child, or field or fruit," "therefore were born." Pause the video and have a think about what feeling those quotes give you.

Off you go.

Those snippets give me a hopeful, positive feeling.

It's talking about springtime, sun and being born.

These quotes have positive, these snippets have positive connotations.

But let's consider how Owen uses these snippets.

Let's consider them in the context of the whole stanza.

Owen says, "Since we believe not otherwise can kind fires burn; nor 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." How do these quotes take on a new meaning when considered in their context? Pause the video and discuss that now.

Alone the quotes evoke images of beauty of nature, new life, innocence, and abundance.

However, Owen subverts the sense of hope usually associated with springtime by using it to express his hopelessness and nihilism.

He says he does not now believe that sun can smile true on child, fruit or field because of what he's witnessed.

He says that he's scared of God's invincible spring.

And he says that, and he essentially says he feels he was born to die.

Can you link the highlighted quote to that picture there? "Therefore, not loath, we lie out here; therefore were born." Pause the video and discuss that now.

Here Owen evokes ideas about Jesus's sacrifice.

Much like Jesus, Owen suggests that the soldiers were born to die, and rather than loath or feel troubled by this, they are resigned to this, thus adding to the sense of nihilism in this stanza.

Before signing up for the war, Owen held religious beliefs and believed that joining the army was an honourable sacrifice.

So how does this section of the poem shows Owen's rejection of these two beliefs? Pause the video and discuss that.

In this stanza, Owen rejects his religious belief because he says, "For love of God seems dying," and he says, "For God's invincible spring our love is made afraid." Those two quotes show his rejection of religion.

We also see his rejection of seeing war as an honourable sacrifice.

He's basically saying that the atrocities I have seen in war makes me revoke all of my positive beliefs and all of my hope that I once held.

That's how horrific being at war is.

Let's check your understanding now.

Owen blank the connotations of blank to express his blank.

I want you to fill in those three blanks now.

Pause the video and have a think.

Owen subverts the connotations of spring to express his hopelessness.

Spring is usually associated with new life, with innocence, with abundance.

But Owen subverts these connotations because he wants to show how hopeless he feels at war.

True or false? Owen presents war as an honourable sacrifice.

Pause the video and answer that question now.

False, Owen does not present war as an honourable sacrifice.

I want you to now pause the video and justify your answer.

Off you go.

Owen does not present war as an honourable sacrifice.

We know this because Owen juxtaposes the idea of Jesus's sacrifice with the intense suffering of the soldiers.

Owen is basically saying the our sacrifice that we make is nothing like that of Jesus Christ, because look at the way in which we suffer.

This sacrifice could never be called honourable because of that.

Now, a poem can explore lots of interesting ideas, but you have to be able to link these back to the big ideas of the anthology, power and conflict.

Create a mind map of how "Exposure" links to the big idea of power.

Remember to think outside of the box.

Pause the video and create your mind map now.

Let's go through some ideas.

Firstly, the power of nature is emphasised through the imagery that Owen uses.

Nature is the true enemy, slowly destroying the soldier's health and morale.

Next, we see Owen perhaps questioning the authority and power of God, since even God cannot stop the atrocities of war.

We also see Owen questioning the power of traditional values and beliefs by exposing the realities of war.

Perhaps as long as war exists, the power of values expressed via propaganda and religion will be threatened.

And lastly, Owen criticises those in powerful positions who perpetuate positive ideas about war.

He exposes the immense suffering and futility of war.

So there are four ways in which the poem "Exposure" links to this big idea of power.

Well done if you said any of those.

I now want you to write a paragraph in response to the question, how does Owen present power in the poem "Exposure?" You can use all of those ideas and any that you came up with in your answer.

I want you to include ideas about the power of nature, ideas about those who have power in society, and the power of values and beliefs.

Here's your checklist.

Start with a topic sentence, include a quote, make an inference, mention the effects of a literary device, use tentative language, and discuss relevant contextual links.

Remember, tentative language means you're expressing possibility, not certainty.

This is because we can't say for sure what Owen's intentions were for this poem.

Pause the video and write your paragraph about power in "Exposure" now.

Owen exposes the weakness of traditional beliefs about war and religion in "Exposure." Owen subverts the values of propaganda that depicted war as an honourable sacrifice, as he depicts the horrific conditions of the trenches, "merciless iced east winds" that demoralise the soldiers, causing them to question their existence and belief in God.

Instead of seeing their role in war as purposeful, Owen depicts the nihilistic attitudes that the soldiers have adopted, "not loath, we lie out here; therefore were born." Owen uses religious illusions to juxtapose Jesus's honourable sacrifice with the soldiers' immense suffering and hopelessness.

Perhaps Owen is criticising the powerful institutions that spread a positive facade of war.

Let's see how this answer meets the success criteria.

It starts with a topic sentence.

It includes two quotes.

It makes inferences.

It mentions the effect of a device.

It uses tentative language, and it discusses relevant contextual links.

I now want you to reread your own work.

What did you do well? Ensure your answer contains relevant contextual links.

To challenge yourself, try to link the poem's title with Owen's purpose with regard to power.

Pause the video and self-assess your work now.

Great effort with your writing today, everyone.

Now, let's go through what we've learned.

Owen personifies nature as a more brutal enemy than the opposition.

Distorted syntax and imagery is used to reflect the disorientating effects of hypothermia and suffering.

Owen uses the first person collective plurals to show that he's reflecting on the experiences of many soldiers.

Owen subverts seasonal imagery to express hopelessness and nihilism.

And Owen emphasises nature's power and criticises the power of those in powerful positions who idealise war.

I hope that's helped you with your analysis of the poem "Exposure," and I hope to see you in another lesson looking at another poem very soon.