🐎 the charge of the light brigade

Question 1

Who is the poet of The Charge of the Light Brigade?

Answer 1

Alfred Tennyson

Question 2

Summary of The Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 2

A large brigade of soldiers are commanded to march to their deaths. They charge heroically but few remain as they retreat

Question 3

5 key quotes in The Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 3

1) ‘valley of death’
- Biblical reference to Psalm 23: ‘I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.’ - a literary allusion to the story of David and Goliath -> bravery

2) ‘Some one had blunder’d:’
- Important line as it suddenly is NOT IN DACTYLIC DIMETER. Dramatic stop of the soldiers who are going to die.
- Emphasising that the blunder is criticizing the leadership error that leads to the practically suicidal mission, and is subtly drawing our attention to this mistake
- ‘blunder’d’ - ‘erred’ sound phonetic similarity to ‘error’ and throughout the poem, it is a reminder that a subtle mistake was made

3) ‘Theirs not to make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die:’
- REPETITION: Victorian England valued order and obedience to hierarchy and we see this in the soldiers. But we can’t be sure that this blind obedience is to be praised. Tennyson is questioning the unfair obedience, not the positive braveness but they should have the freedom to choose
- DACTYLIC DIMETER: Some syllables stressed and mirror to galloping hoofbeats of the horses and it sounds like the battle. This use of sound adds energy and pace which makes us empathize with the soldiers

4) ‘Rode the six hundred’, ‘Noble six hundred!’
- REPETITION: Reminds us of the 600 soldiers and does not let us forget
- last line: The use of an IMPERATIVE closes the poem with the intention of glorifying the soldiers

5) All the world wonder’d.’
- ‘wonder’d’ could be amazed or questioning. Questioning how such a stupid mistake could be made

Question 4

Context for The Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 4

CRIMEAN WAR (1853-1856)
- War against Russia
- Russia wanted to take over Romania
- Britain fighting alongside France, Turkey, and Sardinia
- Light brigade was ordered to protect guns, but they were lightly armored troops on horse
- 3 lords bought their way into control and had no experience in leading war. There was a miscommunication between the 3 lords and they ordered the light brigade to not go protect the guns but the charge into a valley where they got shot. But they kept charging, causing the 600 soldiers to die and be injured -> TRAGIC FUTILE MISSION

TENNYSON WAS A POET LAUREATE
- His duty was bound to glorify war to the British public to defend the positions of the aristocracy but in his poem, he subtly mentions and reminds the readers of the error and the mistake that have been made in the leadership

Question 5

Form and structure of The Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 5

RHYTHM:
- Violence and cannon fire, power of the attack

REPETITION

6 VERSES AND EACH ENDS WITH RODE THE 600:
- Represents 600 soldiers in the light brigade

FORM IS BALLAD:
- Historical form of poetry often used to be sung to tell a story -> he wants this to be remembered and to never forget this error

DACTYLIC DIMETER:
- Speeds up down the poem
- A war reporter said that the horses were trotting and first and then actually sped up
- Mimics the hoofbeats of the horses

ENJAMBMENT AND CAESURA
- Used frequently to quicken the pace and used to mirror the chaos and panic of a war

MEDIA RES
- The poem begins in media res which adds to the tense atmosphere created

Question 6

Key themes in The Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 6

• Praising the bravery of the 600 soldiers
• Criticising the aristocracy and upper-class and blind obedience and stupidity of the leadership and the blunder that caused it

Question 7

Poems to compare with The Charge of the Light Brigade

Answer 7

BAYONET CHARGE
- S: Both criticize the leaders of war but more explicit in bayonet. Both propaganda is a powerful tool in the public attitude to war
- D: brigade prasies the blind obedience, but bayonet the perception of honour is challenged. Brigade praises bravery but bayonet encourages the questioning of war

EXPOSURE
- S: Critical of military leader decisions that led soliders to death by charging or by leaving them in the trenches freezing to death. Both criticize how violence and military mistakes continue to repeat themselves
- D: Brigade has less freedom in the message by bayonet had. Brigade is more violent rash action and Bayonet detests waiting in the trenches