Summary

The poem tells the story of a brigade consisting of 600 soldiers who rode on
horseback into the valley of death for half a league (about one and a half
miles). They were obeying a command to charge the enemy forces that had been
seizing their guns.
Not a single soldier was discouraged or distressed by the command to charge
forward, even though all the soldiers realized that their commander had made a
terrible mistake: Someone had blundered. The role of the soldier is to obey and
not to make reply...not to reason why, so they followed orders and rode into the
valley of death.
The 600 soldiers were assaulted by the shots of shells of canons in front and on
both sides of them. Still, they rode courageously forward toward their own
deaths: Into the jaws of Death / Into the mouth of hell / Rode the six hundred.
The soldiers struck the enemy gunners with their unsheathed swords (sabres
bare) and charged at the enemy army while the rest of the world looked on in
wonder. They rode into the artillery smoke and broke through the enemy line,
destroying their Cossack and Russian opponents. Then they rode back from the
offensive, but they had lost many men so they were not the six hundred any
more.
Canons behind and on both sides of the soldiers now assaulted them with shots
and shells. As the brigade rode back from the mouth of hell, soldiers and
horses collapsed; few remained to make the journey back.
The world marvelled at the courage of the soldiers; indeed, their glory is
undying: the poem states these noble 600 men remain worthy of honor and
tribute today.

Subject matter
The Crimean War was fought between Britain and Imperial Russia from 18531856. For the first time in history, newspapers carried eye-witness reports as well
as detailing not just the triumphs of war but the mistakes and horrors as
well.
The most significant moment in the Crimea came during the Battle of
Balaclava. An order given to the British army's cavalry division (known as the
Light Brigade) was misunderstood and 600 cavalrymen ended charging down a
narrow valley straight into the fire of Russian cannons. Over 150 British soldiers
were killed, and more than 120 were wounded. At home the news of the disaster
was a sensation and a nation that had until then embraced British military
exploits abroad began to question the politicians and generals who led them.
Form and structure
The poem has a strong rhythm. For example "half a league, half a
league" two light beats followed by a heavy beat expresses the sound of the
horses galloping.
There are six numbered stanzas, as if each stanza is a memorial stone to 100 of
the 600 cavalrymen. The length of the stanzas reflect the structure of the story.
The first three stanzas - the Light Brigade is approaching the guns.
There is a strong structure. Three lines (of three six-to-seven syllables) are
followed by a shorter line (five syllables: "rode the six hundred"). This pattern
suggests the strong formation in which the cavalry charge.
Stanza two the Light Brigade has engaged the enemy so the longer stanzas
describe the struggle. The structure starts to break down. The rhythm of stanza
four, for example, is broken by four shorter lines, while stanza five has only two
short lines (lines 42 and 48). The desperate attempt to retreat is expressed in the
run of six longer lines (43-48).
Stanza six is a short, sharp conclusion written as if they are the lines we should
remember the Light Brigade by.
Language and Imagery
The language of the poem is understandably military: guns, soldiers, cannon,
sabres and gunners set the scene. The power of the poem, however, comes from
the careful use of imagery and sound effects.
Imagery
The strong central image of the "valley of Death" (lines 3,7 and 16) refers to a
well-known poem in the bible - Psalm 23 - about the 'valley of the shadow of
death'. By using this Biblical allusion, Tennyson shows how important the event
is.
Sound
Tennyson uses a wide variety of techniques to provide the poem with highly
effective sound effects. Alliteration, for example, is used to express the sounds of

battle. Note the sound of bullets in line 22 ("shot and shell").

The poem has a strong rhythm. For example "half a league, half a
league" two light beats followed by a heavy beat expresses the sound of the
horses galloping.
Attitudes, themes and ideas
Tennyson's job as poet laureate was to capture the public mood and, given the
poem is still so well-known, he certainly did that. But the feelings in the poem
can appear to be ambiguous in other words, can be seen in two different
ways.
How much outrage is there in this poem, though? Part of its success is the way
Tennyson recreates the energy of battle "half a league, half a league". The final
stanza does not express any anger at politicians and generals. It does, however,
show delight at what they did: "O the wild charge they made!"
Comparison
This poem is also about remembering soldiers who have died in war but it is the
opposite both in its tone and its treatment of the theme. Tennyson, living at the
time of the events he describes, sets out to build a monument to them in poetry
so their "glory"will never "fade". Sheers is living long after the event. There is no
glory here. Instead he sets out to create a small hymn so the fallen soldiers will
be remembered for their own brave deeds in battle.
This poem is linked by subject matter: a soldier charging in battle. The
treatment, however, is different. Tennyson creates a rich impression of the whole
action from a kind of widescreen perspective (a brigade charging down a long
valley). Hughes is much closer to the action he describes. He focuses on the
experience of one man. So instead of exploring the impact of a military action on
a nation, Hughes analyses the emotional response of an individual within a
nation's war.
Sample question
The basic structure of any answer will be the same:

The introduction will explain the relevance of the question to what

feelings the poem expresses and an overview of the story the poem tells.

Paragraph that covers form.

Paragraph that covers structure.

Paragraph that covers language (sound and verbal imagery).

Conclusion: You then conclude on the meaning that emerges from this.

For each point, you need to provide evidence (a quote or reference) and an
explanation.
Question
How does the poet present the experience of conflict in The Charge of the Light
Brigade?
Answer

Points you could make:

Tennyson presents the experience of conflict in several different ways.

He uses the form of the poem to illustrate both the battlefield he describes
(the long, narrow valley) and the memorials he wants built to honour those
who took part (six stanzas like memorial stones to the 600).

The structure of the story he tells presents the excitement of the battle:
the stanzas get longer and the rhymes more frequent after the calm
opening stanza.

He uses rhythm to recreate the sound of the horses charging

andrepetition to recreate the sound and visual effects of battle
("cannon"lines 17-20 and "flash'd" lines 27-28 for example).

He gives important lines the heavy "-erd" rhyme to emphasise his

anger: "Someone had blunder'd".

Finally, he builds to a conclusion, in the final stanza, that suggests that the
outcome of this experience is positive: the world wonders, but not as in
asking a question such as 'why was the blunder made?' but wonders in
awe at the bravery of the British.

Tennyson shows that from this disaster national heroes have been born.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/poetryconflic
t/chargelightbrigade5.shtml)

MODEL QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTED ANSWERS

1. Where is the setting of the poem?
The battlefield
2. Which line in the poem tells us that the soldiers obeyed the order without
question?
"theirs not to reason why"
3. Why do you think the line "Rode the six hundred" is repeated many times in
the poems?
to emphasise that the 600 soldiers sacrificed their life on that day in the
battlefield
4. Give one quality that you admire about the soldiers. Give a reason for your
response.
Loyal as they follow orders.
5. What is the command given to the soldiers?
to charge forward and fight the enemies
6. Give an example of a metaphor used in the poem.
the valley of death
7. Which line in the poem tells the reader that the command was a mistakes?

someone had blundered

8. What do you think is the outcome of the battle? Support your response with
evidence from the poem.
Many soldiers die. The phrase into the jaw of death shows that many of them will
die in the battle.
9. In stanza 1, who is speaking to the soldiers?
the leader/captain
10. In stanza 2, what does the line, "theirs but to do and die" tell us about?
the soldiers are loyal and courageous
11. What happened to the soldiers in stanza 3?
they were attacked by the enemies
12. What emotions does the poem evoke? What do you feel as you read it?
Support your response with evidence from the poem.
Sympathetic. full of sympathy as many soldiers die in the battlefield.
13. In stanza 2, which phrase in the poem means to go forward over a set
distance?
"Forward the Light Brigade"
14. What were the soldiers told to do when they rode into the valley of death?
"Charge for the gun"
15. Why do you think the soldiers followed the order even is it would cause their
death?
They are loyal
16. Despite being attacked from all sides, the soldiers continued on. What
consequences would the soldiers have to face if they decided to retreat? Provide
reason for your answer.
Death.The soldiers should never go against the leader and always follow orders
17. Why do yo think the persona asked whether there was " a man dismayed"?
some of the soldiers are not courageous and have weak heart/ will/spirit
18. There are many jobs today that require people to be brave. Give another
example of a job that requires bravery. Provide reason for your answer.
Policeman. They need to fight for justice.
19. In stanza 2, which word in the poem means 'made a mistake'?
" blundered"
20. What is the theme of the poem?
courage

21. What is the Light Brigade?

a division in the army
22. Give one example of personification used in the poem?
"the jaw of death"
23. How do you feel about war? Provide a reason to support your response.
I dislike war. Many people die in the war.