This is just one way to analyze this poem - there are many other ideas that could have been used in the topic sentence to structure the argument, and, of course, many other examples from the poem and literary devices which could have been used as support.
*Note how the evidence is set up, integrated into the grammar of the sentences, and cited (all part of Criterion B: Organizing)
**Most importantly, note that there are many examples, with various literary devices applied to each one, and how they are explained/unpacked to link to the argument/topic sentence related to understanding the text and how the writer's choices convey meaning (all part of Criterion A: Analyzing)
YOUR TASKS:
1. Read the paragraph. Print it and highlight the paragraph, colour coding the statements/points being set up, the examples, and the explanations in different colours.
2. Take note of examples and how they are explained, in particular, to link back to the ARGUMENT set up in the topic sentence.
3. Take note of any organization and analytical skills used here that you can learn from for your OWN paragraphs -- check back on the blog to see your feedback on "The Soldier" paragraphs if you don't remember your areas of strength/weakness.
4. Find another WW1 poem we have not studied and practice annotating it and analyzing it over the break to prepare for the test. This will help you for the test and for your upcoming poetry analysis essay, as well!
* check out:
www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/first-world-war-poetry-showcase/
warpoets.org.uk
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70139/the-poetry-of-world-war-i
5. Write a SEE x3 paragraph for "Anthem for Doomed Youth" to practice your analytical and organization skills.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAMPLE PARAGRAPH:
In Wilfred Owen's "Exposure", the speaker showcases the WW1 soldiers' struggles as they endure the harsh environmental realities of winter in the trenches. From the first line of the poem, the soldiers' setting is depicted as brutal, as Owen describes "the merciless iced east winds that knive [them]" (1). The connotations of "iced" suggest to readers that the wind is extremely cold, and the word "merciless'' connotes that it is also relentless. The use of the word "merciless" and Owen's unconventional verb choice describing the wind as "kniving" or stabbing soldiers also serve to personify the wind, depicting it as an antagonistic, unfeeling, and violent force which makes life incredibly difficult and painful for the soldiers on the front. The sibilance of "merciless iced east winds" compounds this effect, as it mirrors the sharpness of the wind with its repeated hissing ''s'' sound, evoking pity in readers as they imagine the incessant gales. The conditions continue to deteriorate for the soldiers in stanza 3 as the rain begins. With the morning rain, the "misery of dawn begins to grow" as the "clouds sag stormy" (11-12). For readers, the adjective ''sag'' used to describe the storm clouds creates the visual image or heavy, full, low-hanging clouds raining down and soaking soldiers (12). Furthermore, the conditions are described with words like "poignant", "melancholy", and "grey", creating a semantic field of misery and a desperate, sombre mood which the soldiers must endure. These conditions worsen further as the rain turns to snow, surprisingly described as more deadly than the bullets which "streak the silence" (16) as it comes "feeling for [soldiers'] faces" (21). The description of bullets as ''less deadly'' than the snow is somewhat hyperbolic, but it serves to highlight how harsh the winter climate in the trenches feels for soldiers stationed there (17). With the cold, the soldiers begin to "drowse" and "doze", giving in to the conditions and wondering if they are finally dying (22-25). At the end of the poem, the environmental antagonist seems to defeat the soldiers, with the imagery of frost fastening, or binding to them in a final affront (36). Owen uses a short phrase, "All their eyes are ice", to create a visual image of soldiers' eyes - and, symbolically, souls - as frozen, unmoving, and likely dead by metaphorically comparing them to ice (39). The nature motif of winds, rain, snow, and frost prove too much for the soldiers, ultimately overpowering them. Owen's use of various literary and stylistic devices strongly conveys the extremely harsh environmental realities which WW1 soldiers had to endure, showcasing the struggles of soldiers and the horrors of war to readers.