The Charge of the Light Brigade by Tennyson
What do you notice
in the image? What
words would you
use to describe
what you can see?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj5bilCQEDU
Context: The battle
The Crimean war (1853-56) 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 (1854), 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. Lord
Tennyson was the poet who was asked to
write about their sacrifice.
How do you feel about
what happened here?
What’s your reaction to
these events?
NB: The Light Brigade were a branch of the
British cavalry. They rode light, fast horses
and were deployed when fast, quick
movement was needed. They were not
supposed to be used for heavy fighting.
Work through the following
questions…
-
What do you notice about
the use of rhythm? How
does it connect to the
poem’s pace? Why do you
think Tennyson uses rhythm
like this?
-
Is any of the imagery used
particularly striking? Select
some phrases. What effect
do they have?
-
Do you notice any
particularly powerful verbs?
Pick these out. What
impact do they have?
-
How does Tennyson use
repetition in the poem?
-
What is the effect of the
rhetorical question ‘When
can their glory fade?’
1.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
2.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
3.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
4.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
5.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
6.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made,
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.
Exploring structure: final stanza
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they
made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they
made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
CHALLENGE
What is Tennyson’s final message
about the battle?
Why are the
punctuation marks used
powerful?
Could the word 'wild’
be ambiguous? How?
How is this stanza
different to the others?
Extended Writing
How does Tennyson present the soldiers
and their sacrifice in the poem?
Useful words: brave, obedient, heroic, loyal,
unquestioning.
Write a series of paragraphs explaining your
ideas.
Make sure you comment closely on the
methods used to portray them.
Stretch yourself: Does Tennyson think the soldiers’
sacrifice was justified?