Charge Of The Light Brigade Flashcards
What war and battle is the poet based on -COTLB
The Crimean war
(The battle of Balaclava)
What is the light brigade -COTLB
Lightly armoured troops on horse back
What happened in the battle -COTLB
There was a miscommunication with the leaders leading to the light brigade to attack an opposing army which had artillery.
The light brigade were commited and fought until the end but were torn to pieces by the enemy
What is the poet trying to express -COTLB
Trying to express the bravery of the soldiers and how we should honour them and criticse the blunder in the leadership (upper class)
When was the poem made -COTLB
Victorian era
What form is the poem in and why is it used
Explain context -COTLB
Ballad
It is used to help people remeber the act of bravery of the light brigade (honour them) as well as to never forget the blunder of the upper class leaders
Poem has medieval roots where storytellers would use the musicality of the refrain to help people remember the stories
What form are the verse written in the poem and why -COTLB
Dactylic dimeter (Two feet per line)
Tennyson uses it to mirror the battle of the poem (hoof beats which adds energy and pace to the poem) to further make us appreciate the noble feat of the soldiers as it emphasises the situation the soldiers found themselves in.
How is the blunder in the poem emphasised -COTLB
Dactylic dimeter not used “SOMEone had / BLUNdered”
Dactyil mirros the gallop of the horses however it falls short on this line which shows that the blunder of the upper class leaders had shortened the soldiers lives (killed them)
How is language in the poem used
Stanza 2 -COTLB
Psalm 23 ‘valley of Death’ Victorian audience notices biblical imagery . This is used to show the significance of the bravery of the soldiers (almost biblical)
Repetition of ‘ Theirs’ in ‘Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to make reason why, Theirs but to do and die’ shows the hierarchy in society and how the soldiers are meant to be obedient (follow orders)
Rhetorical auestion ‘was there a man dismay’d? implies that there is no doubt in the soldiers mind
Language used in the poem
Stanza 6 -COTLB
Ambiguous language of ‘wondered’ to be amazed or to question. Both can be interprted to question the upper class blunder or to be amazed by the soldies bravery. Additonally, it conveys positive and negative interpretations shown by the ‘won’ shows how the soldiers are being honoured and the ‘ered’ shows the mistake of the leaders
‘When can their glory fade’ alludes to the poem being seen as propaganda (honour them)
Imperative closes the poem with intention of glorifying soldiers ‘HONOUR the charge they made! HONOUR the Light Brigade’
‘Noble six hundred’ poem glorifies soldiers
Language used in the poem
Stanza 5 -COTLB
Repetition of cannon emphasises the harsh mechancial nature of war as the soldiers are seen to be entrapped by bombardments even while retreating
‘Hero and horse fell’ eupheism of the death of soldiers emphasised by alliteration and falling rhythm
Language used in the poem
Stanza 4 -COTLB
Frickative and sibilance used in this emphatic repetition highlights the brutality of the situation
‘FLASH’D all their sabres bare, FLASH’D as they turn’d in air’
End of each stanza talks about the ‘six hundred’ which emphasises how the poem is about them
Repetition of verbs ‘Flash’d’, Charging’,’shatter’d’ emphasises the chaotic nature of the battle and their desperation to survive
Language used in the poem
Stanza 3 -COTLB
Repetition of ‘cannon’ emphasises the harsh military machinery surrounding them. (Anaphora)
‘Storm’d at with shot and shell’ use of sibilance creates a sinister tone of violence
‘Jaws of Death’ metaphor of the valley they were charging into which shows how they were charging towards their death.
Language used in the poem
Stanza 1 -COTLB
‘Half a league, half a league, Half a leagu’ repetition of distance emphasises how far they travelled give sense of exposure and vulnerability
‘Rode the six hundred’ this is repeated several time to emphasise loss of life
‘Forward the light brigade! Charge for the guns!’ Reported speech shows sense of duty to their leaders (soldiers follow orders)
What do the phonetics of the poem used convey in COTLB
‘Thundered’, ‘shattered’, ‘sundered’, blundered’, ‘wondered’
Similar to phonetic sounding of error ie. do something wrong
Subtle reminder of the mistake made of upper class leaders
Stucture of the poem and what does it show -COTLB
Enjambment and caesura used to quicken the pavcing of the poem to mirror the chaos and panic of the war
Repeition to emphasise chaotic nature
Why does the poem lack individuality -COTLB
Makes the poem seem more universal to other soldiers
Similarities with BC and COTLB
• Both poems criticise the leaders of war, this is explicit in Bayonet Charge but more subtle in Charge of the Light Brigade. There is the implication in both poems that propaganda is a powerful tool in the public attitude to war.
Difference BC and COTLB
Tennyson poem praises the blind obedience in the rhetorical question “when can their glory fade?”. In BC it is challenged by “In bewilderment then he almost stopped”
Tennyson presents the soldiers bravery by repeating “Honour the charge they made!” “Honour the light brigade”. Opposing this Hughes questions war “King, honour, human dignity, etc // Dropped like luxuries in a yelling alarm”
Tennyson uses dactylic dimeter to create pacing whereas Hughes presents war as fear and panic
Exposure similarties with COTtLB
Tennyson is critical of military leader’s decisions by bluntly declaring “Someone had blundered” and stating “Honour the Light Brigade” at the end rather than their leaders. Similarly Owen depicts the soldiers as isolated in “Worried by silence” which implies that they have been abandoned by the authority
Tennyson repeats “six hundred” to emphasise the vast number of lives lost as well as “Cannon” to remind the listener that the Light Brigade is surrounded by weaponry. Owen repeats “nothing happens” to show that they are being forced to fight in war for no reason
Exposure differences with COTLB
Tennyson is critical of rash action in his poem which is shown by the brash verb “plunged” whereas Owen detests the waiting in the trenches.
Remains similarities with Poppies
• Both poets explore the consequences of conflict.
Remain differences and COTLB
Remains: first person account of warfare. It shows pyschological viewpoint and focuses on the aftermath of conflict and emotional impact of war whereas COTLB is a narrative poem which commemorates the valor of soldiers
Armitage uses a sombre and reflective tone in Remains: “Well myself and somebody else and somebody else / are all of the same mind, /so all three of us open fire.” whereas the Tennyson adopts a more celebratory and patriotic tone: “Their’s not to reason why, / Their’s but to do and die.
- Armitage uses modern language and vivid imagery to convey the solider’s internal struggles and the impact of war on the individual whereas Tennyson uses a rhythmic style, repetition and imagery to emphasise the sheer chatotic nature of the battle
Other form elements in the poem -COTLB
Rhyme scheme, free indirect style, third person omnisicent
6 stanza
