New
New
Year 10
AQA
Analysing the poem 'Exposure'
I can explore how Owen expresses his feelings about war in the poem ‘Exposure’.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
Analysing the poem 'Exposure'
I can explore how Owen expresses his feelings about war in the poem ‘Exposure’.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- 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 is reflecting on the experiences of many soldiers.
- Owen subverts seasonal imagery to express hopelessness and nihilism.
- Owen emphasises nature's power and criticises the power of those in powerful positions who idealise war.
Keywords
Nihilism - a view that all traditional values are unfounded and existence is meaningless
Disoriented - confused and unable to think properly
Syntax - The ordering of words in a sentence
Futile - incapable of producing any useful result; pointless
Common misconception
'Exposure' only depicts the power of nature.
If we look critically, we can identify how Owen criticises and rejects powerful ideas and institutions, like other poets from the anthology.
The explanation phase in LC1 works with the model of the gradual release of responsibility. If students require more scaffolding, offer another teacher model with another quote or another group annotation task before they do their own.
Teacher tip
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What method is being described here: 'giving human characteristics to non-human things'?
simile
metaphor
oxymoron
Q2.
In 'Exposure' what does Owen identify as the main enemy of the soldiers?
enemy fire
wildlife in the trenches
Q3.
Why might Owen have written 'Exposure'?
to memorialise the soldiers
Q4.
'We', 'us' and 'our' are all examples of...
second person plural.
third person plural.
Q5.
Complete the quotation from 'Exposure': "But happens."
Q6.
What does 'futile' mean?
confused and unable to think properly
a view that all traditional values are unfounded
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What method does Owen use in the line: "Our brains ache in the merciless iced east winds that knive us . . ." taken from 'Exposure'.
pathetic fallacy
metaphor
Q2.
Which quotation taken from 'Exposure' shows us the tediousness of war?
"Sudden successive flights of bullets"
"ranks on shivering ranks"
Q3.
What is the definition of nihilistic?
incapable of producing any useful result
confused and unable to think properly
Q4.
In 'Exposure' what are the soldiers suffering from?
post traumatic stress disorder
Q5.
What method does Owen use in 'Exposure' to show the physical effects of the weather and the war on the soldiers?
personification
first person collective plural
Q6.
In the poem 'Exposure', Owen the connotations of spring to express his hopelessness.