Notesale: Turn your study into money

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Examine how “Exposure” by Wilfred Owen and “Remains” by Simon Armitage
portray the reality and effects of conflict
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This is reflected through the
repetition of the line: “But nothing happens” which is repeated at the end of
the poem to give the sense that nothing has changed the soldiers’ terrible
situation, not even death
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● In comparison, “Remains” starts in media res (in the middle of the action) and,
like “Exposure”, contains a lot of vivid imagery
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For example, Armitage writes how: “
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These seem like very casual - and almost cold-hearted - actions and could
reflect how human life is wasted and soldiers become disposable in
warzones
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This makes the reality of
conflict seem gory and incredibly sad
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The collective pronoun “our” gives a sense that this
is a common and shared experience for soldiers, and its repeated use can
also be seen in “Remains”
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This reminds us of the power of nature, whilst the
harsh and sibilant “s” sounds heighten their visceral experience and further
reinforce their exhaustion and fatigue
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● The long term effects of war are also suggested in “Remains” as the memory
of killing a “probably armed, possibly not” looter plays on the narrator’s mind
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This may cause the reader to
question why soldiers are sent into war zones, which was also Wilfred Owen’s
intention (as he firmly believed that the horrific conditions and situations faced
by soldiers were inhumane and unnecessary)
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This imagery suggests the
physical effects of war and hints at the impacts of “cold exposure”, an illness
which killed many soldiers back in the Great War
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Additionally, this phrase could reinforce the lack of
emotion or ability to feel things as the dead and living men are described as
one
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This could also once again highlight Owen’s anger and
desperation at having little control over what he could do in the trenches
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Armitage writes “his bloody life in my bloody hands” which may
suggest that the responsibility of the looter’s death has been put back on the
narrator’s shoulders, despite how “all three” of them opened fire
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However this
very prosaic language is left open to interpretation, as he could just be
referencing the horrific way in which the man died
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This may suggest
the guilt felt by the narrator, and how he will never forgive himself, or be
mentally free of, the crime

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