The Charge of the Light Brigade 1854
The Charge of the Light Brigade
historical context
Charge of the Light Brigade
(Tennyson. 1854)
1. Rhythm: To what extent can you hear the thundering of the horses?
2. Alliteration: how effectively does the repetition of the ‘s’ sound recreate the
swishing of the swords of the battle in stanza 4?
3. Metaphor: ‘Jaws of death’ ‘mouth of hell’ are used to describe place.
Comment on the effect
4. Rhyme: creates a sense of certainty and authority for the comments in the
author’s voice.
5. Is this mainly about an individual or a group? How important are the
individuals in this poem?
6. What is the purpose and audience (published in ‘The Times’ in London)
7. What is the main idea?
“Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad
poets deface what they take, and good poets make it
into something better, or at least something different.”
― T.S. Eliot, The Sacred Wood
Parody ‘The Charge at Parihaka’ by Jesse Mackay (1889)
The Treaty between Victoria and Chiefs 6-2-1840
Link to loss of Maori land https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104100739/treaty-ofwaitangi-what-was-lost
Parody
Parody works by imitation(copying bits) and
audience recognition
actual Doorstep Scene from Love Actually
Conservative Party parody
Homework: find a parody of something on youtube and explain what it copies
(how you know it is a parody)
PARODY
Parody works to produce irony which means that readers are reading the opposite
meaning to what is apparent in the title.
Explain the irony in the line “When can their glory fade?”
How does the meaning of “Was there a man dismayed?” change in this parody
from the original meaning?
When the reader recognises the original text “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is
being parodied, the tone of “The Charge at Parihaka” is mocking. Find one line in
the poem that describes what is happening in a mocking way. Say what the
soldiers are doing. Explain how this is different from the way soldiers are
supposed to behave.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
‘Redacted’ by Blake Morrison
Coroner’s inquest parody Tone - diction -
inquest is a fact-finding investigation and not a method of apportioning guilt. The
procedure and rules of evidence which are suitable for one are unsuitable for the
other. In an inquest it should never be forgotten that there are no parties, there is
no indictment, there is no prosecution, there is no defence, there is no trial, simply
an attempt to establish facts.
An example of a coroner’s report
[1] On the morning of 7 November 2011 Christie Alexis Lesley Marceau, aged 18 years, died at her family
home at the hand of Akshay Chand, also aged 18 years. [2] Christie, 1 who was in her first year of
university studies, was at home with her mother and grandmother when she was attacked by Mr Chand,
who pushed his way into the house past Mrs Marceau and stabbed Christie multiple times. She was dead
when ambulance staff arrived. [3] Christie and Mr Chand knew each other, having attended the same
primary school for a year, and for a short period in 2011 they worked in the same local supermarket. They
lived in the same neighbourhood (within short walking distance). While working together at the
supermarket they had socialised occasionally (including Christie inviting Mr Chand to her home on one
occasion) and communicated on Facebook. Although they had been on civil terms they were not ever
close friends. [4] Christie was not a random victim. Mr Chand went intentionally to her house on 7
November intending to kill her.