Exposure and Charge of the Light Brigade

Question 1

Compare Charge of the Light Brigade with…

Answer 1

Exposure

Question 2

Comparison points

Answer 2

Difference
1. In COTLB, soldiers are honoured, valued. However in Exposure, the soldiers are neglected, forgotten

Difference
2. Enemies are different. In COTLB, the enemy is the opposition, and in Exposure the enemy is the cold, weather

Similarity
3. War is inescapable, they have no choice and no free will

Difference
4. In COTLB, war is exciting and full of action. In Exposure, it is demoralising, repetitive, not much action

Question 3

Evidence for comparison point 3

Answer 3

3. War is inescapable, they have no choice and no free will

COTLB :

‘Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to question why, theirs but to do and die’
No choice in their own life, they must be there, however die for their country in honour.

‘Into the jaws of hell’
Commands, cannot disobey

Exposure :

‘What are we doing here?’
They do not want to be there, but are forced to, no free will, insignificant

Question 4

Evidence for comparison point 1

Answer 4

1. In COTLB, soldiers are honoured, valued. In Exposure, soldiers are forgotten, disregarded

COTLB :

‘Boldly they rode and well’
They are labelled as brave so are highly respected

‘Charging an army’
Requires courage

‘Hero fell’
Each and every soldier is highly honoured

‘All the world wonder’d’
World admires the soldiers

‘Their glory’ ‘Honour’ ‘Noble six hundred’
Highly regarded and honoured, valued

Exposure :

‘What are we doing here?’
Existence is irrelevant, disregarded

‘Forgotten dreams’
Loss of humanity, forgotten

‘We turn back to our dying’
Insignificant, forgotten, doesn’t matter if they die or not

‘For love of God seems dying’
Losing hope, even God has forgotten about them

Question 5

Evidence for comparison point 2

Answer 5

2. Enemy in exposure is the cold, weather. Enemy in COTLB is opposition

COTLB :

‘Into the valley of death’
Biblical reference, metaphor, signalling the battlefield

‘Into the jaws of death, Into the mouth of hell’
Metaphors, demonstrating danger yet bravery

Exposure :

‘Merciless winds that knive us’
Winds are harsh and ‘knive’ them brutally, METAPHOR

‘Silence, sentries whisper, curious, nervous’
SIBILANCE represents wind sounds, adding to effect of harsh wind

‘Bullets streaking the air’
Actual war does not pose any threat

‘Less deadly than the air that shudders black with snow’ METAPHOR, demonstrating how weather is deadly

‘All their eyes are ice’
Brutality of cold

Question 6

Evidence for comparison point 4

Answer 6

In COTLB, war is exciting and full of action, whereas in exposure, it involves little action and more demoralising

COTLB :

‘Rode the six hundred’
Action, riding into war

‘Charge’ ‘Fought so well’
Action, exciting

‘Volley’d’ ‘Thuner’d’ ‘Shatter’d’ ‘Sunder’d’
Action

Exposure :

‘But nothing happens’
Very uneventful

‘What are we doing here?’
Almost expressing disappointment in experience

‘Bullets streak the silence’
No danger, no excitement, no action