ENGLISH MODULE

LITERATURE COMPONENT
POEM
FORM 4:
1. LIVING PHOTOGRAPH
2. CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

FORM 5
1. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU
2. POISON TREE
CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

The Charge of the Light Brigade

BY LORD ALFRED TENNYSON

I
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.
II
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone 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.
III
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and 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

Answer all questions:

1. Which war was “The Charge Of The Light Brigade about? Which countries involved in the war?

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2. According to the first stanza, how many armies rode into the battle?

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3. In stanza one, what does the phrase ‘The Valley of Death” refer to?
They were surrounded on all sides by cannons. The enemies were fully prepared for the attack and

expected them to come into the valley.

4. Why do you think the poet refers the valley as “The Valley of Death”?

Because they were attacked by cannon balls fired from the right, left and infront.

___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

5. Why did the soldiers ride to their death?

__________________________________________________________________________

6. In stanza 1, what was the light brigade ordered to do?

___________________________________________________________________________

7. What kind of weapon did the Light Brigade use?

___________________________________________________________________________

8. What weapon did their opponents/enemies have?

___________________________________________________________________________

9. In stanza 2, what does the word ‘dismayed’ suggest?

___________________________________________________________________________

10. Did the light brigade armies feel discouraged? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

11. In stanza 2, what does the line “someone had blundered” suggests?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

12. Write the meanings of the following lines:

 i) Theirs not to reply __________________________________________________________________________

ii) Theirs not to reason why

___________________________________________________________________________

iii) Theirs but to do and die

__________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

13. Who won the battle? ___________________________________________________________________________

14. Give 2 qualities to describe the six hundred men.

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15. If you were in the army and your commander told you to fight in a battle where you most likely

die, what would you do? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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16. Do you believe that war is sometimes necessary?Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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17. Is it noble to follow orders without asking questions? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

18. Which word in stanza 1 means ‘attack’?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

19. In stanza 3, which word means ‘an explosive sound’?

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20. How far did the soldiers have to ride?

21. Why does the poet use the expression ‘do and die’?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

22. Why is the valley described as “jaws of death” or “mouth of hell”?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

LIVING PHOTOGRAPH

My small grandmother is tall there,

straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt,
pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
a kind, old smile round her eyes.
Her big hand holds mine,
white hand in black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.
It was true after all; that look.
My tall grandmother became small.
Her back round and hunched.
Her soup forgot to boil.
She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
But there she is still,
in the photo with me at three,
the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

Answer all questions:

1. Which line tells us that the persona was close to her grandmother?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. In stanza 2, which word means “something unacceptable and terrible’?

___________________________________________________________________________
3. Which word means ‘a bent back’

__________________________________________________________________________

4. Which word in stanza 1 refers to the posture of the person?

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Which phrase shows that the grandmother is not afraid to die?

___________________________________________________________________________

6. In stanza 3, which word means ‘creased’

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7. Which line tells us that the persona and her grandmother are of different race?

__________________________________________________________________________

8. What is the main theme of the poem?

__________________________________________________________________________

9. Which word in stanza 1 refers to a hairstyle usually sported by old ladies.

__________________________________________________________________________

10. With whom did the persona take the photo?

___________________________________________________________________________

11. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?

__________________________________________________________________________

12. Describe the grandmother’s apperance as stated in stanza 2.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

13. Why do you think the grandmother forgot to boil the soup?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

14. ‘The crinckled smile is still leaving and breathing”

i) why do you think the smile is crinckled?

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ii) Why is the smile described as still living and braething?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

15. Why do you think the grandmother wore flat shoes?

___________________________________________________________________________

16. Describe the grandmother’s skirt and shoes.

___________________________________________________________________________

17. Describe what grandmother was wearing in stanza 1.

___________________________________________________________________________

18. In stanza 1, what words or phrases sow that grandmother is still young?

___________________________________________________________________________

19. Why do you think the persona says her grandmother is still living?

POEM 1 : THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH (by Jackie Kay)

Stanza 1
Line Meaning
The persona’s grandmother looks tall in the
1 My small grandmother is tall there,
photograph.
She is standing with good posture, wearing an
2 straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt ,
embroidered lace blouse.
She wears the blouse with a pleated skirt, non-
3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
heeled shoes and her hair in a bun.
4 a kind, old smile round her eyes. She is smiling kindly.
5 Her big hand holds mine, Her big hand is holding the persona’s hand.
The contrast of their skin colours can clearly be seen
6 white hand in black hand.
in their linked hands.
Her grandmother’s blue eyes suggests that her death
7 Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the eye.
is near.
Stanza 2
Line Meaning
8 It was true after all; that look. The persona’s reference of death came true.
9 My tall grandmother became small. The grandmother became thinner and more fragile.
10 Her back round and hunched. Her back became hunched.
11 Her soup forgot to boil. She became forgetful.
12 She went to the awful place grandmothers go. Soon, she passed away.
Upon her death, she went to a place that no one
13 Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.
knows.
Stanza 3
Line Meaning
However, in the photograph, her grandmother will
14 But there she is still,
always be alive.
The persona was there years old in the photograph
15 in the photo with me at three,
with her grandmother.
16 the crinkled smile is still living, breathing. Her grandmother’s smile is still so alive and real.
Moral Value
1 We must treasure our loved ones when they are alive.
 We must spend as much time as we can with our loved ones while they are still living
 When they pass away, all that will be left are the memories, as is illustrated in the poem.
2 It is difficult to lose a family member.
 It is always difficult to deal with the death of a loved one.
 The persona loses her grandmother when she was younger but she will always remember her.
3 We must never forget the importance of family relationship.
 We should not forget to love and care for our family, especially our grandparents who are the pillars
of a family.
 When they are old and sick, we must continue to take care of them.
Summary of Stanza 1
The persona is looking at an old photograph of her grandmother and herself. She describes the
photograph – her grandmother is standing tall and straight, dressed in a white embroidered lace blouse
with a pleated skirt, and flat shoes. Her grey hair is pulled neatly into a bun. She is smiling kindly while
holding the persona’s hand in hers, giving her the security and comfort. As the persona describes their
linked hands – white hand in black hand – it is clear that they come from a mixed race family. The last line
seems to suggest that the persona knows that her grandmother’s death will come soon.
Summary of Stanza 2
While the first describes the photograph, in the second stanza, the persona is remembering her
grandmother later, when she is older and has become ill. The persona recalls how her grandmother soon
grows thinner and more fragile. Her back is hunched and she becomes forgetful as is illustrated in the
line, Her soup forgot to boil. Eventually, she passes away and upon her death, she goes to an unimaginable
place.
Summary of Stanza 3
However, in the photograph, the persona’s grandmother will forever be alive. She is still there, holding the
hand of her three-year-old granddaughter, with her smile looking so alive and real.
Themes
1 The everlasting quality of a photograph
 A photograph immortalizes a person or a moment. What is captured in a photograph will remain
alive forever.
 In the poem, the persona’s grandmother has already passed away. However, in the photograph, she
will always be healthy and alive.
 A photograph also allows us grandmother passes away to reflect on what happened in the past and
relive our memories.
2 Death
 Death is a definite outcome for all of us.
 In the poem, the persona recalls how her grandmother was once strong and healthy but soon grows
older and becomes ill.
 In the end, the grandmother passes away and the persona is only able to relive her memories with
her grandmother through a photograph.

OVERVIEW

‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ was written by Lord Alfred Tennyson. Those who can still
remember the poem “Monsoon History” would still remember the line ‘Reading Tennyson at six

p.m.’ . Anyway, this poem was inspired by a true event that happened during the Battle of
Balaclava that occured on 25 October 1854 in the Cremean War between the British and the
Russian. As the name suggests, the Light Brigade was supposed to pursue a retreating Russion
artelliry battery, a task well-suited to a light calvary. However, due to miscommunication in the
chain of command, the Light Brigade was sent on a frontal assault against the more well-
prepared artelliry battery specialised in defensive fire.

A POISON TREE : LITERATURE : FORM 5 POEM

POISON TREE DISCUSSION -

Compliments to owner of
1) enotes.com and
2) leelachakrabarty.wordpress.com
for the use of their notes .
Hopefully this entry will add more to students' understanding.

http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/topic/poison-tree

https://leelachakrabarty.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/the-poem-a-poison-tree/
A discussion on the poem 'A POISON TREE' by William Blake

A Poison Tree

I was angry with my friend:

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,

Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole

When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

Wiles A trick to deceive

A wile is a cunning trick. Here, it suggests that he may be planning some sort of a
devious scheme for his enemy

Wrath Extreme anger

Foe An enemy

Outstretch Stretch out/ extend/ spread out

Veiled When the night veiled the pole

A concealing cover

pole North pole/ South pole

Watered it in he "waters" and "suns" his anger, much like one would water and provide sunlight
fears and for a tree.
sunned it with
smiles As the poem puts it, he "waters" the anger with his tears, and then "suns" it with
the false smiles he offers his enemy.

The poet means for us to see ourselves in the persona who nurtured his anger at
his enemy by watering it with his "tears" and sunning it with his deceitful
"smiles." If we stuff down our anger, pretend we're happy, and don't resolve our
conflicts, our anger will grow and grow until it becomes like a poisonous plant that
will hurt other people.

Till it bore an
apple bright. Bore : to produce or yield
And my foe Past tense of bear
beheld it shine. ( bear fruits)

Beheld it shine : see it shining

The narrator explains that the plant (his anger) grew "both day and night" until it
produced fruit. The narrator says that it is an apple, but it's simply a metaphor for
a lure. The speaker uses that apple to lure his enemy into the garden and be
poisoned.

Then he grows angry at an enemy. Rather than communicate with his enemy and
hash the problem out, he holds the anger inside. As the poem puts it, he "waters"
the anger with his tears, and then "suns" it with the false smiles he offers his
enemy.

Eventually, this anger grows and grows until it becomes a tree that bears a shiny,
poisonous apple. The enemy eats the apple and dies.
Metaphor-A growing apple tree is an extended metaphor for the growing anger
and it shows how destructive anger can be. The title “A Poison Tree” is the
central metaphor. The apple has become poisonous as it has been nurtured
with anger. In other words, the tree grew with negative emotions. When
we stay angry for a long time, we may become “A Poison Tree” (a
person full of negative emotions).

Setting-The persona’s garden. The garden where the apple tree grows. The
apple tree that features the apple which lures the enemy.

Symbolism-The apple represents anger. The apple grows large till it ripens.
Similarly, anger grows till it becomes vengeance.

Themes:

Managing Anger: It is not totally wrong to be angry. However, it is rather

important for us to know how to deal with anger. If we nurture our anger, it
might grow and be harmful to us. In this poem, two ways of handling anger
were shown with different outcomes. In the first scenario, the
anger disappeared but in the second the anger grew into something
aggressive and negative.

Importance of Communication: As shown in the poem, if the persona had

communicated with his enemy, his anger would have been controlled. However,
his refusal to communicate has allowed anger to become something that is very
destructive. Therefore it is oftenbetter if we can communicate with people
on the issues that is bugging us. The poet indirectly is trying to persuade his
readers to talk about their anger. We can talk about it not only with our friends
but with our enemies too. If we talk, the anger might just reduce and it might
just ease our troubles. In turn, it will prevent us from causing hurt unto others.

Moral Value

The poem tells us about the disastrous consequences of one’s own failure
to communicate with another person.

Compliments to leelachakrabarty for these info :

https://leelachakrabarty.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/the-poem-a-
poison-tree/

What is the poem about:

"A Poison Tree" examines the effects of unresolved anger.

In the poem, the narrator or persona first gets angry at a friend. He talks to his
friend and that dialogue resolves his problem so that he can forgive his friend.

Then he grows angry at an enemy. Rather than communicate with his enemy
and hash the problem out, he holds the anger inside.

As the poem puts it, he "waters" the anger with his tears, and then "suns" it with
the false smiles he offers his enemy.

Eventually, this anger grows and grows until it becomes a tree that bears a
shiny, poisonous apple. The enemy eats the apple and dies.

Our personal connection to poem:

The poet means for us to see ourselves in the persona who nurtured his anger at
his enemy by watering it with his "tears" and sunning it with his deceitful
"smiles." If we stuff down our anger, pretend we're happy, and don't resolve our
conflicts, our anger will grow and grow until it becomes like a poisonous plant
that will hurt other people. The poet shows us a different and healthier path in
the first stanza, where the persona confronts the friend who makes him angry
and works out the problem. The poem suggests that we have a choice about how
we behave and that resolving our issues with others is far better than letting
them fester.

Sources:

http://www.enotes.com/topics/poison-tree/themes

What is the moral In this Blake poem, an individual who hides and
of the poem "A nurses his anger is contrasted with a person who
poison tree?" goes immediately and tells his "friend" why he is
angry.

The person who confesses his anger is able to get

 over it and move on.

The person who buries it from his "enemy" pretends

everything is all right. Meanwhile, beneath the
surface, the anger festers.

The man waters his anger with his tears and suns it
with false smiles. By doing this he cultivates his anger
so that it grows bigger and bigger.

Finally, the anger grows into a tree that bears

poisonous fruit.

The moral of the poem is that we should not nurse

our anger towards another person but confront
the person who hurt us and work out our issues
directly. Otherwise, we become something
poisonous that destroys other people.

In the poem "A Poison In "The Poison Tree," the point of the poem is that the anger we
Tree" why did the hold onto grows into something ugly and poisonous that hurts
persona's wrath end other people.
when he told his friend
about it?
Blake contrasts this to anger we get over.

One good way to overcome anger is to talk about it with the

person who angered you. If you can trust another person enough
to confide in him and her, you can clear up misunderstandings and
give the other person the opportunity to tell his side of the story
and explain what happened. It also offers the other person the
chance to apologize, because often people don't even know they
have offended. With this kind of communication, forgiveness and
reconciliation can occur. Then you can move on with your life.

In contrast, as the poem shows, if you dwell on your wrath without

trying to resolve it, it becomes bigger and bigger and more and
more poisonous--Blake imagines it as a poisonous apple--and
becomes especially poisonous if you pretend to the person who
 offended you that nothing is wrong.

Poem A Poison Tree : Sample Questions + Answers

 -What emotion is expressed in Stanza 1 ?
Anger

 -Which word in stanza 2 that has the same meaning as “dishonest”?

Deceitful

 -What happened to the persona’s foe eventually and how did the persona react
to this?
The persona’s foe eventually died. He was glad to see his foe outstretched beneath the
tree

 -What would you do if you had a misunderstanding with your enemy? Suggest
2 ways.
 Talk to my enemy and solve the problem
 ignore my enemy
………………………………………………………………………………………

 -In stanza 1, what happened to the persona when he did not express his anger?
His anger intensified / grew.

 -In stanza 3, what did the apple refer to?

The apple referred to the persona’s anger / hatred.

 -In stanza 4, why did the persona feel happy?

He felt happy because his foe fell into his trap.

He felt happy because his foe died under the tree.

 -In this poem, the persona was angry with his foe. If you were the persona’s
friend, what advice would you give to him?
Advice 1 . I would advise my friend to speak honestly to his foe so they could clear the
misunderstanding between them

Advice 2: I would advise my friend to forgive his foe because being angry would only
hurt him and his foe

…………………………………………………………….

 -What did the persona do when he was angry with his friend?
He told him his wrath and the wrath was gone.
 -In stanza 2, how did the persona allow his anger to grow?
He watered it in fears and tears and sunned it with smiles and deceitful wiles

 -In stanza 3, what does the word it refer to?

The persona’s anger / the poison tree / the tree

 -If you were the persona, would you have been glad to see your “foe outstretched beneath the
tree”? Give a reason to support your answer.
Yes because he had done something bad to me. OR

No, because we could have forgiven each other’s mistake.

………………………………………………………………………………………

 -In stanza 1, who is the persona angry with?

His friend/ his enemy/ his foe ( ONLY ONE ANSWER)

 -Which word in stanza 1 shows the persona is similar to an apple tree?

Grow

 -In stanza 2, what does the word ‘it’ refer to?

The wrath

 -How would you feel if you had a misunderstanding with your friend? Explain.
Feelings : upset/sad/ unhappy [ 1 mark ]

Explanation I have no one to talk to.

………………………………………………………………………………………

 -Which phrase is stanza 1 has the same meaning as ‘kept his anger to himself’
I told it not

 -What did the persona do to ensure that the tree grew healthily?
CHOOSE ONE:

He watered it with tears / He sunned it with smiles/ He sunned it with soft deceitful wiles

 -‘In the morning glad I see

-My foe outstretched beneath the tree’
-In your opinion, how did the persona feel that morning?
The persona felt happy/ excited/ glad/ contented

 -Do you agree with the persona’s feeling? Give a reason for your answer.
No, because it is wrong to kill someone.

Yes because the persona felt contented.

 In "The Poison Tree," the persona deals with his
How did the anger while his enemy is still alive by nurturing it.
persona of "A
He does this in two ways. First, as Blake puts it, he
Poison Tree" deal
"water'd it in fears / night and morning with my
with his anger
tears." This means that when the persona wakes up
while his enemy
was alive? Give in the morning and when he goes to bed at night he
two things he did. remembers over and over how he has been hurt by
his enemy. He dwells on his "fears": how his enemy
could hurt him again, and he thinks about his enemy
with "tears" over the original injury.

The persona also pretends that nothing is wrong.

Blake states it this way: "I sunn'd it [his anger] with
smiles / And with soft deceitful wiles." Rather than
confront his enemy or talk it through, the persona
stuffs his anger down and pretends everything is
fine. He smiles at his enemy. He is kind on the
surface to his enemy. Meanwhile, the unresolved
anger grows and grows.

We don't know how the enemy injured the persona,

but the poem leads us to believe that whatever it
was, the persona blows it (or grows it) all out of
proportion both by dwelling on it silently and by
pretending publicly that he is happy.
Sources:
 http://www.enotes.com/topics/poison-tree/themes

wrath - extreme anger (kemarahan)

foe - enemy (musuh)
watered - pour or sprinkle water over (siram)
fears - feeling of afraid (ketakutan)
tears - (air mata)
sunned - (mencahayakan)
deceitful - dishonest (menipu)
wiles - lure (umpan/permainan)
bore - carry (bawa)
bright - (terang)
beheld - seeing something impressive
shine - a quality of brightness (berkilat)
stole - past tense for steal (curi)
veiled - cover (tutup)
glad - grateful (bersyukur)
outstretched - stretch out body (badan terlentang)
beneath - under (bawah)

Questions/Exercises:
Stanza 1

1. In stanza 1, which word in the poem means 'anger'?

- Wrath.
2. Whom did the persona remain angry with?
- His Foe/enemy.
3. In stanza 1, give the phrase that says the persona hid his anger
- 'I told it not'.
4. In stanza 1, give a reason why the persona's wrath ended.
- He communicated to his friend and let out his anger.
- He talked about it.
- He didn't keep it to himself.
5. In stanza 1, why do you think the persona's wrath grew?
- He kept it inside.
- He told no one about it.

Stanza 2
1. What is the anger compared to?
- A tree
2. Why do you think the persona was crying?
- He was very angry.
- He was disappointed.
3. ' And with soft deceitful lies.' What does this line tell us about the persona?
- The persona is cunning/deceitful.
4. Why did the persona smile even though he was angry?
- He is pretending.
- He doesn't want anyone to know he is angry.

Stanza 3
1. 'And it grew both day and night.' What is 'it?
- His anger/wrath.
2. What does the apple represent?
- His anger.
3. In your own words, explain the phrase 'soft deceitful wiles'.
- Cunning tricks/ deceitful acts/ to lure
 Question 32 is based on the following passage. Choose the best answer to fill in each blank.

Tanjong Rhu is a simple (i)______ profound story about the relationship between Mr. T.W. Li, a rich
(ii)_________ in the shipping business and his mother (Ah Ma). Mr Li has his office at Shenton Way
and is modern in his ways and ideas. His mother is traditional with strong religious (iii)_______ and
practices ancestor worship religiously. They have a close relationship although Mr Li does not seem to
realize it. The day (iv)_________ Ah Ma’s funeral, Mr Li recalls the day he (v)_______ his mother
about using binoculars or see-far glasses. While he wants her to have (vi)________ vision with the
binoculars, she however, (vii)_________ to see her husband’s shipyard in Tanjung Rhu with the
binoculars. She uses them but does not see anything. (viii)_________, she tells Mr. Li she sees his
childhood days when they enjoyed (ix)________ on Tanjung Rhu beach in her mind’s eyes. Mr. Li
cannot (x)_________ all these details and wants to ask Ah Ma further. But , she (xi)________ very
sick and is unable to talk much. She manages to (xii)________ the urgency of a hidden key to the altar
(xiii)______ she draws her last (xiv)__________. He promises to (xv)__________ this last wish of
hers. But, he is unable to find the key.

i. A. but vii. A. hoping

B. and B. hope

C. yet C. is hoping

D. or D. hopes

ii. A. businessman viii. A. How ever

B. fisherman B. Instead
C. apprentice C. Therefore
D. owner D. Thus

iii. A. believe ix. A. walking

B. beliefs B. walked
C. believing C. walks
D. belief D. have walked

iv. A. before x. A. remembered

B. during B. remembers
 C. while C. remembering
D. after D. remember

v. A. tell xi. A. becoming

B. told B. becomes
C. has told C. has became
D. was telling D. became

vi. A. better xii. A. convey

B. good B. conveyed
C. best C. is conveying
D. bad D. conveys
xiii. A. before
B. after
C. during
D. when

xiv. A. wish
B. view
C. breath
D. death

xv. A. convey
B. deliver
C. guide
D. fulfill [15 marks]
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU

1. Based on the poem, who is the persona.

___________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the situation in the home of the persona?

___________________________________________________________________________

3. In stanza 3, what does the persona’s mother do to show her feelings?

___________________________________________________________________________
4. From stanza 1, what can be seen on Lulu’s bed?

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Whose voices do you think the persona heard?

___________________________________________________________________________

6. Give textual evidence to show that Lulu most probably left in a hurry.

________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

7. Give two pieces of evidence which indicate that Lulu has disappeared.

________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

8. What does the shortened name of Lulu in line 2 suggest?

________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

9. Refer to stanza 2 in the poem:

a) How old do you think Lulu is? Give reasons.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

b) Is her age important?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
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. What does the Valley of Death symbolises?
battlefield/a place where battle/ war takes palace/ a place where army fight enemies/ a
place where armies fight enemies and many of them die
24. Which word in Stanza 2 means "mistake"?
blundered
25. How many soldiers were involved in the war?
600 soldiers
 26. Suggest two ways to protect your country?
1. Be patriotic
2. Cherish these natural wonders/cherish the natural resources/ cherish the history and
romance as a sacred heritage for your children and your children's children.
3. Be loyal to one's country
27. How do you feel about war? Provide a reason to support your response.
I dislike war. Many people die in the war.

FIGHT FOR ENGLISH 1119/2 : POEM

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
1. About which war was "The Charge of the Light Brigade "written?
The Crimean War
2. According to the first stanza of "The Charge of the Light Brigade", how many British forces rode into
the battle?
Six hundred

3. In stanza one, what does the phrase “the Valley of Death” refer to?
The valley where the British soldiers rode/ the battle occurred/battle field/ battle field where the army
died

4. Why do you think the poet refers the valley as “The Valley of Death”?
It is because the soldiers knew that they were going to lose in the battle and they would die.

5. Why did the soldiers ride to their death?

They had to obey their commander’s order.

6. In stanza 1, what was the light brigade ordered to do?

They were ordered to move forward on a frontal assault against a well-armed Russian soldiers/ to
attack the Russian soldiers

7. What kind of weapons did the Light Brigade have?

Spears, swords and bows

8. What weapons did their opponents/enemies have?

Cannons, rifles

9. In stanza 2, what does the word ‘dismayed’ suggest?

It means to lose your courage/ to be overcome by terror or sadness

10. Did the British soldiers feel discouraged? Why?

No, they did not. It was because they were carrying out their duty and if they were to die, they would
die with honour/ They had to obey the command of their leader.

11. In stanza 2, what does the line “Someone had blundered” suggests?
The commanding officer had made a stupid and clumsy mistake by ordering them to charge the well-
prepared Russian soldiers/ the leader had made a mistake in giving order

12. Write the meanings of the following lines:

i. Theirs not to reply :
The soldiers must not talk back to their commanders.
ii. Theirs not to reason why :
They must follow the orders without asking why.
iii. Theirs but to do and die:
All they could do was to ride and fight and possibly die in the battle.

13. Who won the battle?

The Russian soldiers
14. Give two adjectives to describe the six hundred men?
Courageous/ brave/ noble/ heroic/ loyal/ patriotic/obedient
15. In Stanza 1 the phrase valley of Death means
 Death awaiting/to die/no escape from clutches of death
16. In Stanza 1 which word means “to advance”?
Forward
17. In stanza 2 who has made the mistakes that caused the tragedy?
The leader of the troop/ the commander/ office in-charge
18. There are many ways to show our love towards our nation. Suggest two ways.
i. Contribute towards nation building by being a good citizen
ii. Be united and uphold justice in our country.

19. If you were in the army and your commander told you to fight in a battle where you would most likely
die, what would you do? Why?
20. Do you believe that war is sometimes necessary? Why?
21. Is it noble to follow orders without asking questions? Why?
22. From Stanza 1, what was the command given?
Forward the light brigade
23. From Stanza 2, which line shows the evidence that the soldiers had followed orders?
Theirs not to make reply/theirs not to reason why/ theirs but to do and die
24. From Stanza 2, where do you think the battle take place?
In the Valley of Death
25. Why do you think the soldiers had blindly followed orders? Give your reason.

A part of training