Charge Of Light Brigade - Alfred Lord Tennyson✔️ Flashcards
How is the theme heroism presented throughout the poem?Give two examples of evidence for this in the poem?
confident rhythm of the poem emphasises how these cavalry men act without fear or hesitation - horsemen are also highly competent - seen in language ‘fought so well’, they rode ‘well’
How is the sense of duty presented throughout the poem?Give evidence for this?
Put service to their country above their own lives - readers get the sense that they happily make this sacrifice - the men know that ‘some one had blunder’d’ but they do not challenge the incompetent order - they obey it without quesion - seen in ‘onward’ and ‘forward’
How is the theme of war presented throughout the poem?Give evidence for this?
The violence of the war is hinted through violent metaphors of gunfire that “volley’d and thunder’d and storm’d” - and In referring to ‘all that was left of them’, Tennyson implies they were torn apart by gunfire
How does tennyson use language to make the poem appeal to the readers senses?
Seen with the “thunder’d[ing]” gunfire and the sibilance in ‘sabre-stroke’ to mimik the soldiers pulling their sabres out - even some of tennysons vocabulary like “blunder’d” has a blunt, physical feel - use of dactylic diameter to mimik the sound of the horses galloping
Significance of tennyson calling the valley, the “valley of death”?
Reminds us that many of the cavalrymen do not survive - also to make a link to the bibles ‘valley of the shadow of death’ implies that God is on the mens side and that they are doing not just their commanders will but Gods will as well
Structure of the poem?what is the significance of this?
The openings of stanzas three and five are identical,thus giving symetry to the charge and reinforcing the sense of bravery as they do not try and run or retreat but charge together
Significance of the poems dactylic dimeter?
Cleverly imitates the sound and motion of the galloping horses running into battle - the unrelenting rhythm implies that the soldiers have no choice but to run into battle
How is the poem structured - Three ways?
-Narrative sequence - helps gives the poem its structure
-features irregular rhyme
-ballad form - historic form used to commemorate a story for future generations to hear and memoralise the peopel who were killed
How is the heroic theme supported by repetition?how do we get this sense?
the alliterations of ‘shot and shell’, and ‘do and die’ makes the poem bounce along as though it is a song that would be easy to remember, and perhaps sing along to paired with “noble six hundred”
How does the poem begin?what is the effect of this?
‘Half a league, half a league, half a league” - starts in media res the unprepared listener is thrust into the action with the repetition of ‘half a league’.This establishes a tense atmosphere from the onset which cause the listener to view the poem through the lens of threat and risk
Rhyme scheme in the poem?
irregular - and there are rhyming couplets between indented lines - the couplets create a sense of ineviability however, chaos is introduced by the irregular rhyme scheme
How does tennyson use euphemism?
Instead of explicitly referring to death he states that ‘horses and hero fell’ which is emphasisesed through his use of alliteration - the falling of the soldiers is accompanied by the falling rhythm of the dactylic dimeter
Examples and effects of metaphors in the poem?
Tennyson uses metaphors to create negative connotations for the listeners, for example ‘jaws of death’ with ‘jaws’ having claustrophobic connotations - implies that the soldiers will be eaten up by or shredded by bullets - ‘mouth of hell’ creates the impression that there is no escape from the valley once it has been entered
Example of sibiliance in the 3rd stanza? What is its effect?
‘Storm’d at with shot and shell’ - the use of sibillance creates a sinister tone increasing the aggressive tone of the violence being described
Significicance of the poem taking the form of a ballad?
Ballad form which is a historic poetry form used to commemorate a story - poem aims to memoralise the brave soldiers killed - reinforced with the repetition of ‘honour’ and ‘noble’
