Charge of the Light Brigrade

• What form is the poem written in?

  -Ballad form

  -Historic poetry to commemorate a story

  -In this instance to memorialise the people who were killed
• Why is Dactylic dimeter used? (a long syllable followed by two short syllables)

  -It is used to mirror the rythm of a horse running into battle

  -The unrelenting rythm implies that soldiers have no choice but 'to do and die
• What rhyme scheme is used?

  -Ireggular + rhyming couplets between indented lines

  -Couplets create a sense of inevitability

  -Yet chaos is introduced by the irregular rhyme schene
• Why is repeiton used?

  -'theirs not to make reply', 'theirs but to do and die'

  -Shows the soldiers obedience

  -Presents the idea that they all have to do this, all six hundred
• Why does Tennyson use Euphemisms?

  -To soften the impact

  -'horse and hero fell'

  -As he was a poet laureate he was not meant to represent the reality of battle, but glorify the soldiers and their efforts.
• What are the best poems to compare to?

  -Bayonet Charge

  -Exposure

  -Remains
• "Cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them, cannon in front of them"

  -Repetition emphasises the weapons they are up agaisnt

  -emphasies their bravery as they up are agaisnt such powerful artillery

  -Repeated twice in the poem to show the harsh mechanical nature of war
• Noble six hundred!'

  -Glorifys them as a final line

  -Leaves the reader thinking of them as brave
• Glory' 'Honour' 'Noble' 'Brave'


  -Semantic field of heroism

  -glorifys the soldiers
• Storm'd at with shot and shell'


  - The use of sibilance creates a sinister tone, increasing the aggressive tone of the violence being described
• into the valley of death'

  -Biblical allusion creates a grand sense of scale whilst foreshadowing their noble deaths
• Rode the six hundred'

  -Repeated throughout the poem to emphasise the number of lives lost
• Why would Tennyson want to glorify war?

  -He was the poet laureate

  -It was his duty to glorify war to the public
• Why would Tennyson want the british public to approve of the War?

  -Many brits disagreed with the Crimean War so he would not want this mistake to turn them even more agaisnt it

  -So he would glorify their noble sacrifice