The Charge of the Light Brigade

Question 1

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

Answer 1

• League is about 3 miles, shows how far they have on their journey. Also can show quality, that they are not up to the challenge.
• Anaphora creates the sense of being stuck as Tennyson is using the same words. This could link to the idea they’re stuck in the valley being fired at or that they are suck under the generals control.

Question 2

All in the valley of Death

Answer 2

• Valley of Death is a biblical allusion to show the horror of what they now face, connotation of hell.
• Highlights the bravery of the soldiers.

Question 3

Rode the six hundred.

Answer 3

• Repetition to build the tension and drag out the charge.
• Refrain- a refrain in poetry is a regularly recurring phrase or verse, especially at the end of each stanza or division of a poem or song.

Question 4

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.

Answer 4

Repetition of ‘theirs’ and ‘six hundred’ objectifies them as a symbol rather than just men. Also helps tone becomes more solemn to show impending doom. They are controlled by inexperienced generals who are in the position of power due to riches not experience. As a reader this makes us feel sorry for them.

Question 5

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them

Answer 5

Cannon link to war and conflict, demonstrate how the odds are against them. Repetition to show scale of guns against them (they are surrounded). This emphasises the bravery go the soldiers.

Question 6

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Answer 6

Sibilance to imply the swiftness of the charge or maybe the sound of bullets. This helps the reader connect with what’s going on.

Question 7

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

Answer 7

Personifies death, used to exaggerate the futility and bravery of soldiers that they are going to die, but do so boldly. They are going to engulfed by hell, surrounded by the enemy.

Question 8

Flashed all their sabres bare,

Answer 8

Sabres: swords, the flash is the sun shining off the metal but also a metaphor for the glory they showed in their bravery which, like a flash, is short.

Question 9

All the world wondered:

Answer 9

• Exaggerate (hyperbole) the scale of the mistake.

- Amazed by the soldiers bravery.

Question 10

Shattered and sundered.

Answer 10

• Cossack and Russian, the enemy. Here the poet is showing how the enemy were not the equal of the British, however there were more of them. Consonance to shattered and sundered ‘-ered’ to emphasise devastation.
• sibilance- bullet
• used the err sound which means to make an error/ to do something wrong, this links to the idea that the generals misjudged the situation greatly.

Question 11

Not the six hundred.

Answer 11

Changes the tone by inserting the word ‘not’ implies the six hundred have mostly died. The sentence at the end of there stanza gives the reader time to reflect.

Question 12

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them

Answer 12

Repetition from before, gives the poem a parallel to mirror the charge, now they are running away.

Question 13

While horse and hero fell.

Answer 13

Glorify the poet make the men more like symbols of bravery than real men.

Question 14

Back from the mouth of hell,

Answer 14

Mirrors the third stanza to emphasise the bravery and loss.

Question 15

When can their glory fade?

Answer 15

Rhetorical question. The poet does not seem sad that these men died but rather is more concerned with their glory.

Question 16

Honour the Light Brigade,

Answer 16

The imperative, ordering people to give their respect when many questioned the charge. The Poet is showing how the soldiers themselves should be honoured, even if the decision to charge may have been wrong.

Question 17

who wrote this poem?

Answer 17

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Question 18

“Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!” he said.

Answer 18

• imperative verbs- following orders.

Question 19

Someone had blundered.

Answer 19

• The dactylic diameter is not used in this line in order the emphasise it.
• Shows the reader how the people they placed their trust in misplaced their trust making clumsy and careless mistakes as the people in charge had no experience.
• People at the time would have known who they were talking about. The poet can’t name them as he’d get in trouble so he just hints at it.

Question 20

Why is the err sound repeated?

Answer 20

the err sound which means to make an error/ to do something wrong, this links to the idea that the generals misjudged the situation greatly.

Question 21

Why are there six stanzas?

Answer 21

600 men are part of the charge.

Question 22

What type of poem is this?

Answer 22

It is a ballad which is how stores were traditionally passed around. This shows how he thinks there is a lesson to be learned from it.

Question 23

What meter is the poem written in?

Answer 23

• Its written in dactylic diameter which is when one word is stressed followed by two words that are unstressed.
• It makes it seem as horses are galloping to immerse the reader more.
• This meter is commonly used in humorous poetry therefore Tennyson could be subtly implying he thinks it’s a joke that unskilled people could buy their way into such power to have control over others lives.

Question 24

Talk about the poems context…

Answer 24

The Crimean war saw British troops fighting in Russia. At this time, while there were basic guns and cannons, people would still also fight or horses, to rush in and attack before they could reload or stop them. However the light brigade were very lightly equipped, more for scouting or attacking from the back or sides rather than charging straight in.
During a battle, a miscommunication sent the light brigade charging head first into the
cannons of the other side, it was a huge catastrophe and many died. It showed to the British that even mistakes can happen. The men were respected for following orders, even though they knew they may be wrong. Some however have criticised the way they blindly followed orders. Lord Tennyson was the poet who was asked to write about their glorious sacrifice.

Question 25

What’s a general summary of the poems themes?

Answer 25

The poem is about war, life and death, sacrifice and folly. It naturally links to conflict and is effective at showing peoples views on war of the time. The poem also contains a lot of reference to biblical/religious ideas as well as bravery and fear.

Question 26

What’s the significance of the valley of death?

Answer 26

Valley of Death:
The Christian prayer, ‘The Lords Prayer’ contains the line “though I may walk through the valley of death”. This phrase being used in the poem is used to show the scale of importance and give the poem and epic quality.

Question 27

Name some key points…

Answer 27

• The repetition within the poem helps capture the galloping military rhythm. This indicates the conflict and power building through the poem itself.
• The poet is clearly distinguishing between the bravery of the men and the foolish ‘blunder’ of the orders and suggests the six hundred should be seen as heroes.
• The military language is mixed with religious allusion to suggest an epic scale, emphasising the risk and bravery.

Question 28

What are the themes in this poem?

Answer 28

• Effects of conflict
• Reality of conflict
• Identity

Question 29

Name some key quotes…

Answer 29

"rode the 600"
"cannon"
"noble 600"
"honour"
"mouth of hell"