charge of the light brigade Flashcards
what is the charge of the light brigade about
Light brigade charging through a valley after being ordered to charge the Russian guns
● Had received an order and were unable to dispute it
● There had been a mistake in the order – it was a “blunder”
● Surrounded by cannons and artillery fire
● Big heroic battle – bayonets (“sabres”) versus guns
● Come back from the battle but many soldiers left behind dead
● Surrounded again as they retreat
● Tennyson instructs the reader to remember, honour and glorify the “noble six hundred”
they all charge heroically but there are only a few when they retreat
context on alfred lord tennyson
Tennyson had an unhappy childhood caused by his abusive father who left his mother and her children fearful for their safety.
He did receive a good education through his middle class family and rich relatives who allowed him to attend excellent grammar schools.
After a period of experiencing intense poverty, Tennyson was given the role of poet laureate. In this position, he was duty bound to glorify war to the British public to defend the positions of the aristocracy.
what is the significance of the crimean war for this poem
a conflict between Russia and the Ottomen empire however, eventually France and Britain got involved to prevent Russian expansion. This was unpopular with the British public who saw it as unnecessary and as this was the most well documented war at the time, they were aware of the mistakes made. The light brigade were often members of the lower class who were lightly armoured and on horseback.
significance of the structure of the poem
Ballad form This poem takes on the form of a ballad which is a historic poetry form used to commemorate a story for future generations to hear. This poem fits this purpose and acts to memorialise the people who were killed.
Dactylic dimeter Tennyson uses dactylic dimeter (a long syllable followed by two short syllables) to mirror the rhythm of a horse running into battle. This unrelenting rhythm implies that the soldiers have no choice but to run into battle or that they are blindly obeying orders. The meter could also be interpreted to be used to create satirical humour as it is often seen as a lighthearted rhythm.
Rhyme scheme The rhyme scheme is irregular and there are rhyming couplets between indented lines. The couplets create a sense of inevitability however, chaos is introduced by the irregular rhyme scheme.
main idea 1
soldiers lacking individualism
The anaphora used in “theirs not to make reply/reason why”…“theirs but to do an die” reiterates the phrase and the soldiers’ obedience (a desirable trait in Victorian England). The repetition also highlights the soldiers’ lack of individualism. The use of epistrophe in “Rode the six hundred” focuses the listener on the topic of the poem as well as acting as a reprise for the ballad.
-they cannot question what they’ve been told, they are giving blind devotion
-an entity
-there is a lack of personal identity
-almost anonymous through the constant use of collective pronouns
-adverb ‘not’= they have no right to inquire or question what is being demanded of them= reflects their loyalty, discipline but their lack of freedom as well
main idea 2
- god’s protection
biblical allusions
The phrase “valley of death” is a biblical allusion from Psalm 23 which refers to the protection provided by God so is highly ironic when used in this context:
‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - PSALM 23 ‘
This could be a criticism by Tennyson of how members of higher ranks should have protected those in the light brigade but they were instead forced to engage in dangerous conflict because of their low status.
This phrase can also be considered to symbolise the inevitability of the tragedy, the image of a valley implies that the soldiers are penned in and surrounded on all sides by the opposition.
The idea of soldiers returning “from the mouth of hell” links to the story of the harrying of hell. Jesus went into hell in order to receive the souls of those who had been condemned there to allow them to achieve salvation. This relates back to the soldiers in that they were sacrificing their own freedom for the freedom of those back at home.
main idea 3
commemorating bravery, honour of the soldiers
-triumphant nature
bravery - The opening In medias res The unprepared listener is thrust into the action with the repetition of “Half a league”. This establishes a tense atmosphere from the onset which causes the listener to view the poem through the lens of threat and risk.The repetition of “half a league” reflects the pounding feet of a charge, and also reflects the pack mentality of a group of people charging
‘when can their glory fade?’ rhetorical question alludes to the poem being a piece of propaganda
semantic field of heroism throughout poem
closing the poem with ‘Noble six hundred’ = establishing their pride and tribute, denoting their importance
-previous to that stanza, it says ‘left of the six hundred’ = connotes weakness, only a small remainder of them, theyve been conquered
but tone is contrasted at the end of the poem, resorts to a triumphant tone, perhaps with the intention to commemorate bravery and nobility of soldiers.
‘noble’-implies moral eminence, illustrious
main idea 4 -
brutuality, recklessness of war
‘flash’d’=The fricatives and sibilance used in this emphatic repetition highlight the brutality of the situation
‘storm’d at with shot and shell’
‘sh’ sounds= desperation for calmness? but it keeps returning, repetitive
This use of sibilance creates a sinister tone, increasing the aggressive tone of the violence being described.
