Charge Of The Light Brigade Quotes Flashcards
Quote talking about the soldiers riding into something,biblical imagery
Into the valley of death
Creates a grand sense of scale ‘valley’ + foreshadowing death.
alludes to Psalm 23 of the Bible which states: “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”. Like the speaker of Psalm 23, the soldiers of the light brigade march into the battle unafraid of the outcome.
Quote talking about soldiers riding into pure evil
Into the jaws of death
Into the mouth of hell
In “Jaws of death”, “Jaws” has claustrophobic connotations, which imply that the soldiers will be ‘eaten up’ by the bullets. Similarly, the metaphor “Mouth of hell” creates the impression that there is no escape from the valley once it has been entered.
Rhyming triplet after the soldiers find out their orders in charge of the light brigade
Theirs not to make reply
Theirs not to reason why
Theirs but to do and die
The anaphora used reiterates the soldiers’ obedience . The repetition also highlights the soldiers’ lack of voice as they aren’t supposed to question anything but simply co-operate.
Positive imperitaves talking about soldiers going for something in charge of the light brigade
Foward the light brigade!
Charge for the guns!
The repetition of “half a league” reflects the pounding feet of a charge, and also reflects the pack mentality of a group of people charging
Rhetorical question asking if any soldiers were disheartaned
Was there a man dismay’d?
Rhetorical question demonstrates how even though the soldiers were terrified, they knew they must obey orders.
Light imagery talking about soldiers sabres
Flash’d all their sabres bare
Flash’d as they turn’d in air
Sabring the gunners there
Fricatives and sibilance used in emphatic repetition highlights brutality of situation.
Quote from charge of the light brigade talking about what the world was thinking
All the world wonder’d
Rhetorical question to emphasise how they will always be heroes for what they faced.
Rhyming couplet in charge of the light brigade in stanza six talking about glory
When can their glory fade?
Or the wild charge they made
Rhetorical question alludes to the poem being a piece of propaganda.
Structure in charge of the light brigade
Enjambment and caesura are used frequently to quicken the pace of the poem to mirror the chaos and panick of war.
Narrated in third person shows it’s an anecdote of situation
Rhythm creates equine momentum, unrhymed parts aswell to show charge didn’t go as planned, interrupting that momentum.
Context
The charge took place at the Battle of Balaclava, during Britain’s war with Russia during the Crimean War in the mid 19th century. The charge was regarded as one of the most heroic yet futile assaults in British military history, and was instantly the subject of speculation back home.
