1️⃣ The Charge Of The Light Brigade Flashcards
Who wrote TCOTLB?
Alfred Lord Tennyson
When is TCOTLB set?
The Crimean War, The Battle of Balaclava
What happened in TCOTLB?
A miscommunication resulted in soldiers being sent on a ‘suicide’ frontal assault against Russian and Cossack forces
There were high British casualties and no benefits
Why was TCOTLB published?
It was published 10 weeks after to change the publics perception of the battle
What role did Alfred Lord Tennyson have and what were the consequences of this?
Poet laureate
Wasn’t able to openly criticise the generals and government
Poem is used as a form of political propaganda, intending to change the publics perception about the military disaster
What are the main themes in TCOTLB?
(Blind) Patriotism, heroism and bravery- immortalising their sacrifice and glorifying their death
When was the Battle of Balaclava?
25th October 1854
‘Charge’, ‘plunged’, ‘reeled’, ‘shattered’, ‘broke’
Semantic field of movement
Represents/imitates the charge itself like the dactylic diameter represents horse moose’s or drum beats. It reinforces this idea of propaganda; war is exciting and fast paced!
‘Charge’, ‘boldly’, ‘glory’, ‘hero’, ‘noble’
Semantic field of bravery and honour
Poem is a form of propaganda- presenting soldiers as brave and noble despite it being their duty and the outcome
‘Air’, ‘smoke’, ‘thunder’d’, ‘flash’d’
Semantic field of storms
Emphasises the destruction of war in a sensory way
‘Wonder’d’, ‘blunder’d’, ‘dismay’d’
Semantic field of uncertainty
These phrases are incongruous in relation to rest of the poem
Despite having portrayed war as positive due to his role as poet laureate, Tennyson subtly indicates the realties of war- a single mistake can lead to momentous casualties
‘Valley of death’
Repeated throughout poem
Metaphor that creates a sense of danger and adventure
Recognise reality of death, connotations of adventure and bravery
Biblical allusion (Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil)
In stanza 1, the rhyme, repetition, refrain …
Increases pace
Repetition specifically makes it seem like a military chant
In stanza 1, dactylic rhythm imitates…
Fast paced, exciting sounds of battle
‘ “Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!” he said:’
Direct speech makes it seem dramatic and immersive
‘Someone had blunder’d’
Brief allusion to reality of battle
Understatement minimises the mistakes of the general
In stanza 2,
“Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs ing to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die”
Collective pronoun ‘theirs’ groups soldiers so they don’t get seen as individuals
Anaphoric creates a faster pace
Role of the soldier is unquestioning obedience (blind patriotism)
In stanza 3,
“Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the left of them,
Cannon in front of them”
Anaphora and epistrophe replicates claustrophobia and evokes a sense of danger
In stanza 3,
“Storm’d at with shot and shell”
Sibilants imitates sounds of shots
In stanza 3,
“Jaws of death
…. Mouth of Hell.”
Metaphors sound adventurous and dangerous
“rode the six hundred”
Refrain of six hundred emphasises lack of numbers
In stanza 4,
“Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air’
Anaphora replicates non stop fighting and violence of battle
Visual imagery of the soldiers
In stanza 4,
“While
All the world wonder’d”
Incongruous
World questions their actions
In stanza 4,
“Plunged in the battery-smoke”
Cinematic
