The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson New form 4 poem (2015) The poet, the background, meaning of each line

1. THE
CHARGE
OF
THE
LIGHT
BRIGADE
by
Alfred,
Lord
Tennyson
Prepared
by
:
Fitriah
Bin1
Hassan
SMK
Agama
Matang2,
Kuching
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

2. ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
(6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892)
• Tennyson was born in Somersby,
Lincolnshire, England
• He was one of the most well-loved
Victorian poets
• He was the Poet Laureate for
United Kingdom from 1850 to 1892
• He wrote famous books like “In
Memoriam A.H.H.” and many
poems like "Morte d'Arthur", "The
Two Voices" and "The Vision of
Sin".
• In 1829 he was awarded with the
Chancellor's Gold Medal for his
literary works.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

3. The Battle of Balaclava
in the Crimean War
Date : 25 October 1854
Place : This battle took place on the southern Crimean coast
in the Ukraine.
Who fought in the war?
It was fought by an alliance of Britain, France, Turkey and
Sardinia against Russia.
Why did it break out?
Russia was expanding into the Danube region – Romania today-
which was under Turkish control.
Therefore, Turkey and Russia went to war in 1853, and the
following year Britain and France – fearful of Russian expansion.
Britain and France feared Russia would continue pushing down,
and eventually come into British India through Afghanistan.

4. The Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War
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5. • The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British
light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during
the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War.
• Lord Raglan, overall commander of the British forces, had
intended to send the Light Brigade to attack a retreating Russian
artillery battery. Due to miscommunication, the Light Brigade was
instead sent on a frontal assault against a different artillery battery,
one well-prepared with excellent fields of defensive fire.
• Although the Light Brigade reached the battery under withering
direct fire and scattered some of the gunners, the badly mauled
brigade was forced to retreat immediately. Thus, the assault ended
with very high British casualties and no decisive gains.
• The events are best remembered as the subject of the poem "The
Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Published
just six weeks after the event. Its lines emphasize the valour of the
cavalry in bravely carrying out their orders, regardless of the
obvious outcome. Blame for the miscommunication has remained
controversial, as the original order itself was vague.

6. 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.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismayed ?
Not though the soldier knew
Some one had blundered:
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.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed & thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred
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7. • A league is an old way to measure distance, and it was
equal to about 3 miles. So half a league is roughly a mile
and a half. It explains that the cavalry moved a mile and
a half in a single move.
Stanza1
Lines 1-2
Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
• The rhythm sounds like galloping horses' hooves. It
also sounds like a military march: Left! Left! Left, right,
left!
• The rhythm also makes the reader sounds exhausted,
like he is at the end of a race, just trying to force
himself through the last few laps.
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8. Stanza 1
Lines 3
All in the Valley of Death
• It
suggests
that
the
cavalry
soldiers
were
in
a
losing
ba*le
and
that
they
might
lose
their
lives
in
the
baDle.
The
baDle
was
like
the
Valley
of
Death.
• It
suggests
that
death
was
all
around
the
soldiers
and
that
they
could
not
escape
from
it.
The
Russian
gunmen
were
at
the
head
of
the
valley
looking
down
from
a
strong
vantage
point
at
the
cavalry;
the
BriMsh
had
liDle
hope
of
victory.
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9. Stanza 1
Lines 4
Rode the six hundred
There were six hundred people and they
were riding, probably on horseback.
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10. Stanza 1
Lines 5-6
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said.
Due
to
miscommunicaMon,
The
Commanding
officer
ordered
The
Light
Brigade
to
move
forward
on
a
frontal
assault
against
a
well-­‐
prepared
arMllery
baDery.
Frontal
assault
is
a
direct,
hos1le
movement
of
forces
toward
the
front
of
an
enemy
force.
By
targe1ng
the
enemy's
front,
the
aEackers
are
subjec1ng
themselves
to
the
maximum
defensive
power
of
the
enemy.
Before
the
19th
century,
a
frontal
assault
against
a
thin
line
could
be
effec1ve
when
conducted
by
horse
cavalry.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

11. FIT/SMKAM/02/2015
Forward, the Light
Brigade! Charge for the
guns!

12. Stanza 1
Lines 7-8
into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
The
brigade
had
been
ordered
into
the
valley,
and
they
were
riding
in,
even
though
they
knew
that
guns
and
"Death"
were
waiMng
for
them.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

13. Stanza2
Lines 9
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
• The
men
were
being
sent
to
their
doom.
• This
makes
us
pause
and
think
about
why
these
brave
men
were
being
sent
into
"the
valley
of
Death."
• RepeaMng
the
command
from
line
5
shows
the
commanding
officer
was
determined
there
was
no
going
back.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

14. Stanza2
Lines 10
Was there a man dismay'd?
• The
commanding
officer
asked
if
any
of
the
soldiers
were
"dismayed."
• In
this
case,
to
be
dismayed
means
to
lose
your
courage,
to
be
overcome
by
terror
or
sadness.
• That
would
be
a
normal
reacMon
to
anyone
in
a
situaMon
like
this.
• Of
course
the
Light
Brigade
was
too
tough
and
loyal
to
feel
dismayed.
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15. Stanza2
Lines 11-12
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
• That
first
word,
"not,"
implies
that
these
men
didn't
feel
discouraged
at
all.
They
were
ready
to
do
their
job,
even
though
the
order
(to
charge
the
arMllery
baDery)
might
be
crazy.
• The
soldiers
were
not
dumb.
They
knew
this
charge
wasn't
a
good
idea,
that
someone
had
made
a
mistake,
had
"blundered"
(made
a
stupid
and
clumsy
mistake).
• The
poet
criMcized
the
men
who
ordered
this
aDack.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

16. Stanza2
Lines 13 - 15
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
• They
were
just
doing
their
job
even
though
they
knew
they
would
certainly
be
killed.
That
job
did
not
permit
them
to
talk
back
to
their
commanders
("make
reply")
or
to
figure
out
the
point
of
the
aDack
("reason
why").
All
they
could
do
was
to
ride
and
fight
and
possibly
die
("do
and
die").
• The
soldiers
realised
the
order
was
a
mistake
but
did
what
they
were
told
because
it
was
their
duty
to
obey
orders.
• The
poet
admires
the
bravery
and
sacrifice
of
the
men
and
in
disbelief
by
the
stupidity
of
the
order.

17. Stanza2
Lines 16 - 17
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
• These
last
two
lines
are
the
same
as
the
last
two
lines
in
the
first
stanza.
• It
emphasises
that
these
men
were
riding
to
their
death.
• The
Light
Brigade
was
ordered
to
advance
into
a
valley
surrounded
by
enemy
soldiers.
The
cavalry
were
only
armed
with
swords,
whereas
the
Russian
soldiers
had
guns.
• The
Light
Brigade
were
virtually
defenceless
against
their
enemies,
and
many
of
them
were
killed.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

18. Stanza
3
Lines
18–
20
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
• The
soldiers
were
surrounded
by
enemy
cannon,
le,
right,
and
front.
• The
repeMMon
of
the
words
'Cannon'
sounds
like
explosives.
The
poet
made
it
clear
that
they
were
surrounded
by
powerful
weapons
and
that
there
was
very
liDle
chance
of
them
surviving.
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19. FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

20. Volleyed and thundered;
• The
word
"volley"
from
a
cannon
suggests
a
round
of
firing
(simultaneous
discharge
of
a
number
of
missile
weapons).
• These
huge
walls
of
cannon
all
around
them
are
firing,
and
making
a
sound
like
thunder.
Stanza
3
Lines
21
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21. FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

22. Stanza
3
Lines
22
Stormed at with shot and shell,
• The
soldiers
in
the
Light
Brigade
were
being
"stormed
at,"
by
gunfire.
• The
"shot"
(bullets)
and
"shell"
(big
explosives
fired
from
cannon)
are
a
violent,
noisy,
destrucMve
force
that
reminds
the
speaker
of
a
storm.
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23. Stanza
3
Lines
23
Boldly they rode and well,
• These
guys
were
not
scared
of
the
gunfire.
In
fact,
they
rode
"boldly"
(bravely)
even
though
it
seemed
more
and
more
like
a
suicide
mission.
• The
poet
admires
the
soldiers
because
they
were
brave
and
skilful
despite
the
horrors
they
faced.
• This
shows
us
how
heroic
these
men
were.
FIT/SMKAM/02/2015

24. Stanza
3
Lines
24-­‐26
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred
• Now
the
valley
of
Death
becomes
the
"jaws
of
Death"
and
"the
mouth
of
hell".
• It
was
as
if
the
soldiers
were
riding
into
the
mouth
of
ferocious
monsters
that
they
could
not
escape
from.
• The
‘jaws
of
Death’
brings
an
image
of
inescapability
–
the
men
had
been
gripped
by
a
monster
and
Death
was
waiMng
for
them.
•
The
‘mouth
of
Hell’
also
brings
an
image
of
sheer
horror.
It
is
as
if
the
earth
has
opened
up
to
swallow
the
men
–
they
will
die
terribly.
The
men’s
lives
had
been
snatched
from
them
suddenly
and
violently.
• RepeMMon
of
"the
six
hundred"
in
each
stanza
gives
the
idea
of
the
large
numbers
of
men
involved.
It
also
creates
an
image
of
a
chaoMc
baDle.
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25. The Charge of the Light Brigade
Themes
1. Warfare
It
describes
the
confusion,
the
terror,
the
bloodshed
in
a
war.
It
also
describes
the
heroism
and
excitement
of
armed
combat.
2. Courage
The
soldiers
of
the
Light
Brigade
were
courageous.
Every
one
of
them
charged
forward
to
the
enemy
line
bravely.
They
knew
exactly
how
dangerous
and
hopeless
the
job
was,
but
they
did
it
anyway.
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26. The Charge of the Light Brigade
Themes
3. Death
Many
of
the
brave
soldiers
in
the
Light
Brigade
died
in
this
baDle.
4. Duty
The
soldiers
in
the
Light
Brigade
were
just
doing
their
job;
they
were
soldiers
and
it
was
their
duty
to
fight.
That's
what
makes
them
heroic,
but
it
makes
their
deaths
tragic.
5. Honour and respect
The
poet
wants
the
memory
of
the
soldiers
of
the
Light
Brigade
to
live
forever,
to
be
honoured
and
respected.
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27. light
cavalry
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A
troop
of
armies
comprises
of
lightly
armed
and
lightly
armored
soldiers
riding
on
horses.
The
missions
of
the
light
cavalry
were
primarily
screening
and
communicaMng,
and
were
usually
armed
with
spears,
swords,
bows.

28. arMllery
baDery
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A
unit
of
guns,
mortars,
rockets
or
missiles
so
grouped
in
order
to
facilitate
beDer
baDlefield
communicaMon
and
command
and
control

29. cannons
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