The Charge Of The Light Brigade - Alfred Lord Tennyson

Question 1

Give an example of epistrophe in the poem

Answer 1

” Cannon to the right of them
Cannon to the left of them
Cannon in front of them “

Repetition of “cannon” and “them” is an example of epistophe as it is

Question 2

Give an example of assonance in the poem

Answer 2

” Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air
Sabring the gunners there “

“Bare”, “air” and “there” is an example of assonance, which is a repetition of vowel sounds over consecutive lines in a stanza

Question 3

What is the main theme in the poem? Give a quotation to support it

Answer 3

The main theme throughout the poem is generally the glorification of war.

e.g. "Noble six hundred!"
       "When can their glory fade?"
       "Honour the charge they made"
        "Honour the Light Brigade"
        "Boldly they rode and well"

Question 4

Complete the quotation:

” Into the jaws of _____
Into the _____ of hell “

Answer 4

” Into the jaws of death

Into the mouth of hell “

Question 5

How does the use of repetition affect the reader?

Answer 5

It constantly reminds the reader of the key issue that they are trying to get them to realise

e.g. “Cannon to the right of them” etc. is repeated twice throughout the poem

Question 6

How does sibilance make the quotation

“Storm’d at with shot and shell”

more effective to the overall purpose of the poem?

Answer 6

The use of sibilance in this quotation mimics the sound of gunshots/bullets from the battlefield that the narrator is describing

Question 7

How does the rhythm of

“Half a league, half a league, half a league onward”

effect the purpose of the poem?

Answer 7

The rhythm of the poem imitates the sound of soldiers marching, and makes auditory imagery more powerful

Question 8

Complete the quotation:

“Forward the _____ _______!”

Answer 8

“Forward the Light Brigade!”

Question 9

Complete the quotation:

“Into the ______ of death”

Answer 9

“Into the valley of death”

Question 10

Complete the quotation:

“Left of ___ _______”

Answer 10

“Left of six hundred”

Question 11

“All the world wonder’d:” is an example of a double meaning in the poem.

What are the two possible meanings?

Answer 11

1) People wondered what actually happened during the war

2) Written in 1855 in response to an article about the world wondering

Question 12

What does “Cossack” mean?

Answer 12

A “Cossack” is a soldier from Russia/Ukraine

Question 13

What does “Left of six hundred” imply about the soldiers?

Answer 13

Only parts of the soldiers remain. War has destroyed their bodies and not all of them will be coming home.

Question 14

What is the war in the poem based on?

Answer 14

The Crimean War, 1853-1856

Question 15

Who was involved in the Crimean War?

Answer 15

British cavalry vs. Russian troops

Question 16

Give an example of onomatopoeia in the poem

Answer 16

“Shatter’d and sunder’d”

“Shatter’d” is an example of onomatopoeia

Question 17

Is Tennyson a reliable narrator?

Answer 17

Although Tennyson was not involved in the fighting during the war, he was poet laureate, and was therefore given accounts of the war to write about. Therefore, you could argue he is a reliable narrator.

A poet laureate writes poems on current affairs/news stories

Question 18

Name a semantic field that relates to the poem

Answer 18

War is the obvious semantic field for the poem. War has connotations of horror, death, heroes, guns etc.

Question 19

Complete the quotation:

“Plunged in the battery-_____”

Answer 19

“Plunged in the battery-smoke”

Question 20

Complete the quotation:

“______ they rode and ____”

Answer 20

“Boldly they rode and well”