The reaction against the concept of "cannon fodder" war is strong in both poems. This means that soldiers were treated like mere pawns on a chessboard. This is strongly visible in the first verse of "Counterattack", with the description of the soldiers. “Pale, unshaven and thirsty” and “the place was rotten with the dead.” The soldiers were pale and dirty, and no respect was given to the dead. This is further highlighted in Owen's 'Exposure', where the weather is described as "crazy gusts pulling the string, like convulsive agonies of men in his brambles" and "the dawn... attacks once more in trembling rows gray file”. The first description is a simile and personification in which Owen compares a gust of wind to the dying men trapped in it. He is pointing this out to show that “canon fodder” concepts are not the way to go, otherwise there will be massive loss of life. The second description uses monochromatic color images that symbolize its boring and sad aspects. This highlights the effect of desperation for the soldiers fighting as they also have to fight time. Once again it is showing that they are treated as simple