The charge of the light brigade

• The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a poem about one of the most famous battles of the Crimean War
• During the battle, a mistake was made in the orders given to the soldiers, leading the Light Brigade to charge into an area filled with Russian troops
• Many of the 600 British soldiers in the Light Brigade died in this charge
• Tennyson wrote the poem to praise the soldiers' bravery and sacrifice, rather than focus on the commanders' mistake
• Alfred Lord Tennyson: 'Half a league half a league half a league onward, all in the Valley of Death rode the 600.'
• The poem


  • Uses repetition to create a rhythm, enhancing the feeling of galloping horses
  • Uses biblical and religious imagery to elevate the soldiers and the event
  • Criticises the lack of individual identity of the soldiers, who are referred to as 'the 600'
• Alfred Lord Tennyson: 'Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them volleyed and thundered'
• The quote


  • Uses anaphora, with each sentence starting with 'Cannon', to mimic the relentless attack
  • Uses onomatopoeic words like 'volleyed' and 'thundered' to evoke the sounds of the battle
  • Uses sibilance in 'stormed outward shot and shell' to create a sinister tone
• Alfred Lord Tennyson: 'Into the jaws of death, into the mouth of Hell rode the 600.'
• The quote


  • Uses animal imagery of 'jaws of death' to make the battle seem brutal and inhumane
  • Uses the religious imagery of 'mouth of Hell' to suggest the battle is a punishment and recreate the sense of stifling heat
• Tennyson's poem is a tribute to the soldiers, in contrast to the poem 'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen, which has a more critical message
• The poem is structured with six stanzas, each one a memorial to 100 of the 600 cavalrymen
• The Charge of the Light Brigade was written in response to the public outrage over the commanders' mistake, with Tennyson wanting to shift the focus to the soldiers' bravery and sacrifice