Understanding the poem 'Exposure'

Recruitment posters in World War One led to a belief that to fight in war symbolised honour and bravery. Owen enlisted in 1915 as he wanted to fight for his country. His horrific experiences changed his perspective. He wrote ’Exposure’ reflecting on a letter he wrote to his mother describing the conditions of the trenches in 1917. Owen suggests that nature is a more brutal enemy than the opposition, subverting many expectations about war. The poem may convey Owen’s critique against the government as soldiers were dying from trench and weather conditions.