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Sheriff’s use of verbs forms an intriguing start to the play in the stage directions as he describes the trench. It is stated that ‘The earth walls deaden the sounds of war’, which indicates that the atmosphere inside the trench was not always as chaotic and violent as people perceive it to be. This idea of peace in contrast to the war on the outside builds up curiosity and engages the audience. The verb ‘deaden’ implies that sounds were blocked out and makes one ponder what the soldiers did during these times. Moreover, the verb highlights a dark, sinister connotation, which captures the audience's attention.

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Sheriff takes advantage of the setting described in Act 1 of Journeys End to emphasise the thunderous noise of war; this is seen in the following sentence “The earth walls deaden the sounds of war…” The verb “deaden” creates a sense of imagery the audience may convey; the verb means to make a noise less intense which is extremely ironic for war. War in general is portrayed as deafening and ear-piecing, this denotes that Sheriff has made the earthly trenches a place of rest for the soldiers. Sheriff also uses personification in the sentence above to showcase the fact that the walls were “soundproof” even though the soldiers were resting just fifty feet away from tragedy, this therefore creates an intriguing opening to the play.

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The Sheriff uses imagery perpetually in the play, evoking ethos to intrigue the audience. The phrase, “The flames of the candles that burn day and night are steady in the still, damp air” demonstrates the optimism present within each soldier. A sacrifice they don’t neglect taking with a little hope to motivate them, this creates ethos within the audience as it portrays a steady motivation in the midst of a chilly climate and controversial, tense atmosphere. The adjective“damp” conveys a humid and dense ambience, perhaps due to the harsh northern breeze and fogged aura likewise, it could also describe the weight of the soldier’s fear, anticipation and mixed feelings that lie unanswered, thus invoking curiosity within the audience to understand more on their sacrifice and lifestyle.

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One way that Sheriff makes the play opening intriguing is through the use of personification in the quote “The Earth walls deaden the sounds of war” The verb “deaden” is harsh and violent. This compares the walls to an overprotective but nurturing mother. It protects them from the dangers of the outside world as a mother protects her child, however the walls do so by killing the sounds, which illustrates the overprotectiveness and how far the walls protect the innocent soldiers, which also accentuates the extent that the soldiers value these walls. Furthermore, the verb deaden also foreshadows the future of the soldiers, it is portraying the environment outsides, which suggests the soldier’s fate when they leave the protection of the trenches, they face their fate of death. It also creates an interesting opening, as it makes the audience more curious to learn about the perils and struggles that the soldiers face during the treacherous war. It also provides and engaging environment as the setting is achieved through the use of sounds and sensory language of sound. The proper noun “Earth” is a metaphor that represents the final resting place of the soldiers. It amplifies the gloomy fate of the soldiers.

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In the opening, Sherriff’s short yet meaningful descriptions of certain aspects of the trench prompt an exploration into the contradictions and foreshadowing that is prevalent in Journey’s End, and aids in creating an intriguing atmosphere. The ‘still, damp air’ that surrounds the trench suggests that there is a heaviness in the surroundings. The adjective ‘damp’ connotes to the weight and burden that war is, especially to those who fight in it. The wetness and humidity in the air creates a suffocating atmosphere, a physical representation of how the soldiers feel. ‘Still’, also an adjective, helps demonstrate the quiet and daunting environment in the trench, a contradiction to the stereotypical depictions of war; a pool of chaos, noise, and death. This contradiction may relate to how war is perceived outside of the battlefield – a source of pride and glory for men. ‘Still’ also acts as a prompt for foreshadowing the end result of war. It relates to the idea that war ends in death, all the disorder and anarchy leads to a vast number of lives being lost, leaving the trenches that were once filled with uproar and commotion in a dismal and silent stillness.

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Sheriff uses setting advantageously to provide an intriguing opening to the play. The audience are placed, along with the characters 'only fifty yards..' away from the frontline. This close proximity creates fear, tension and an atmosphere of danger before we even meet any of the characters. The adverb 'only' purposefully highlights to the audience, again, just how close we are, and suggests the men may not be entirely protected; despite the 'earth walls' providing some shelter. This could also foreshadow the deaths which occur in the play therefore is effective in engaging the audience from the beginning.

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Sheriff made the opening of the play intriguing by his use of pathetic fallacy that sets the scene to the audience. He takes the audience inside the dug-out and present to them the 'gloomy tunnels' that leads them out. Sheriff uses the adjective 'gloomy' in the opening of the play to describe the tunnels, however this also hints at the emotions of the soldiers who live in the trenches; they go through those tunnels, every single day and night - radiating an aura of sadness every time they do, which eventually sticks to the walls of the tunnels, causing them to look dull. Sheriff's use of pathetic fallacy paints a dismal atmosphere that surrounds the audience, creating tension. This feeling of tension is what makes the opening effective as it keeps the audience engaged.

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Sheriff makes the play interesting and intriguing by using contrasting sentences to highlight the scene in which the protagonists are living in. 'The earth walls deaden the sounds of war', this personification at the beginning of the sentence grasps the audiences attention with the sharp contrast between the soundproof trenches and the deafening noise of war just fifty yards away. The use of the word 'deaden' also corresponds with the fatalities of war and the number of losses soldiers would have to face. It could also allude to the fact that when the pandemonium of the war is shut out by the earthy walls the deceased allies' departure becomes factual.

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Sheriff uses imagery, displayed consistently throughout the opening stage directions, to make the opening of the play intriguing. This is demonstrated when the dug-out is described to have 'a few rough steps' and 'gloomy tunnels'. The verbs 'rough' and 'gloomy' suggest the trenches are inhabitable, making the audience question how the soldiers will survive in them. Other descriptions of the trenches paint the picture of a cramped and filthy living area, specifically when Sheriff writes, 'A table occupies a good space for the dug-out floor... and two boxes serve for the other sides'. The listing of the various pieces of furniture in such a small area gives the impression that the trenches are uncomfortably congested and incommodious. This creates intrigue and anticipation within the audience and motivates them to sustain their interest and engagement in their play.

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To make his opening engaging, Sheriff uses metaphorical devices to diffuse the scene towards the audience in an effective way. One example of this is through the figure of a candle. “The flames of the candles that burns day and night are steady in the still, damp air.” The audience are shown, before the characters are introduced, how war has seemingly affected the soldiers. As a flame, they are burning themselves to get through the day and night – clinging onto a piece of hope which indicates that it's been a long time for the soldiers to feel this way. This adds to the build-up of tension to the atmosphere of the air being ‘still’, which insinuates that everyone is on edge in the scene.