The Charge of the Light Brigade

Question 1

The Charge of the Light Brigade form

Answer 1

third person ballad to make it seem like a story

regular relentless rhythm creates a fast pace, imitating the cavalry’s advance and energy of battle ‘HALF A LEAGUE, HALF A LEAGUE, HALF A LEAGUE ONWARD’ gives impression that horses are unstoppable

lack of rhyme scheme could hint at chaos of war

Question 2

The Charge of the Light Brigade Structure

Answer 2

poem tells the story in chronological order from the charge of the men in the first three stanzas to the battle in the fourth and the retreat in the fifth. the final stanza is short and summarizes heroism of brigade

Question 3

The Charge of the Light Brigade Repetition

Answer 3

‘SIX HUNDERED’ collective expericed by all soldiers

‘CANNON TO RIGHT OF THEM, CANNON TO LEFT ON THEM, CANNON IN FRONT OF THEM’ semantic field reflect the soldiers being surrounded

‘HONOUR’ repeated to leave reader with idea that they should honour cavalry

‘FLASHED ALL THEIR SABRES BARE FLASHED AS THEY TURNED IN AIR’ repetition if ‘FLASHED’ and rhyme creates a powerful image of cavalry using their swords

Question 4

The Charge of the Light Brigade Heroic language

Answer 4

respective language shows how narrator feels the soldiers should be remembered ‘HORSE AND HERO FELL THEY THAT HAD FOUGHT SO WELL’ sense of admiration is touched with sadness

Question 5

The Charge of the Light Brigade Double meaning

Answer 5

‘All the world wondered’

could mean that people marvelled at bravery or that they wondered why they had been sent on charge. this poem was written in response to newspaper articles of crimean war which many articles criticised of military leaders mistakes but this poem focused in bravery

Question 6

The Charge of the Light Brigade violent language

Answer 6

powerful verb to give strong sense of violence and used sounds to create vivid, noisy hellish noise

‘VOLLEYED AND THUNDERED’ onomatopoetic verbs suggest the noise from the cannons

‘INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH…MOUTH OF HELL’ these images personify death and hell and makes soldiers seem brave for charging

‘SABRE STROKE SHATTERED AND SUNDERED’ sibilance sounds vicious

Question 7

The Charge of the Light Brigade Poems to compare

Answer 7

Poppies, remains and war photographer for conflict

Bayonet Charge and Exposure reality of war