Charge Of The Light Brigade Flashcards
Title analysis
The soldiers were collectively referred to as the light brigade to distinguish them from the heavy brigade
This suggests they were not armoured or protected during the attack therefore vulnerable
“Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,”
Repetition emphasises the painful struggle they had to endure in the valley
“Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:”
Duty and service come before any individual thought
Anaphora, the speaker presents the view that taking orders and serving one’s country is honourable
The strict rhyme in these three lines shows how rigid and unmoving they are when it comes to following orders
Alliteration helps suggest that the soldiers have no reason to challenge their orders- they follow them unfailingly and without question
“Storm’d at with shot and shell,”
The metaphor reinforces the intensity and swiftness of the attack
The sibilance gives an insight into the horror of war by emphasising its brutality and inescapable violence
“Flash’d all their sabres bare,”
The frequent use of elision reminds us of the social class of the soldiers
Anaphora- the speaker presents a glorious image of the skilled soldiers, their swords gleaming in battle while heroically fighting the enemy
“Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them”
These lines are repeated from stanza 3, which again suggests the relentless and unending nature of the fighting and their attack. It also suggests that they have been fighting for some time
The only change in these three lines from stanza 3 is the use of ‘behind’ instead of ‘in front’. This preposition reinforces the idea of the soldiers being cut off and closed in
“When can their glory fade?”
Rhetorical question- despite being killed, the soldiers have been immortalised by their brave actions
