The Charge of the Light Brigade

Poem: THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

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Stanza 1
Half a league half a - A league is an old way to measure distance, and it
league,
was equal to about 3 miles. So half a league is
Half a league onward,
roughly a mile and a half. It explains that the
cavalry moved a mile and a half in a single move.
- The rhythm sounds like galloping horses hooves. It
also sounds like a military march: Left! Left! Left!
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.
All in the valley of
Death

Rode the six hundred:

Forward, the Light

Brigade!
Charge for the guns he
said:

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Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

It suggests that the cavalry soldiers were in a

losing battle and that they might lose their
lives in the battle. The battle 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 British had little hope of
victory.
There were six hundred people and they were
riding, probably on horseback.
Due to miscommunication, The Commanding
officer ordered The Light Brigade to move
forward on a frontal assault against a wellprepared artillery battery.
Front assault is a direct, hostile movement
of forces toward the front of an enemy
force. By targeting the enemys front, the
attackers are subjecting themselves to the
maximum defensive power of the enemy.
Before the 19th century, a frontal assault
against a thin line could be effective when
conducted by horse cavalry.
The brigade had been ordered into the valley,
and they were hiding in, even though they knew
that guns and Death were waiting for them.

Forward, the Light

Brigade!

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Was there a man

dismayed?

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Not though the soldier

knew
Someone had
blundered:

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Theirs not to make

reply,
Theirs not to reason
why,
Theirs but to do and
die,

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Into the valley of Death

Stanza 2
Repeating the command from the line 5 shows
the commanding officer was determined there
was no going back.
The men were being sent to their doom.
This makes u pause and think about why these
brave men were sent into the valley of Death
The commanding officer asked if any of the
soldier 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 reaction to anyone in a
situation like this.
Of course the Light Brigade was too tough and
loyal to feel dismayed.
The first word, not, implies that these men
didnt feel discouraged at all. They were ready
to do their job, even though the order (to
charge the artillery battery) might be crazy.
The soldiers were not dumb. They knew this
charge wasnt a good idea, that someone had
made a mistake, had blundered (make a
stupid and clumsy mistake).
The poet criticized the men who ordered this
attack.
The soldiers realized the order was a mistake
but did what they were told because it was their
duty to obey orders.
They were just doing their job even though they
knew they would be 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 attack (reason why). All they
could do was to ride and fight and possibly die
(do and die).
The poet admires the bravery and sacrifice of
the men and in disbelief by the stupidity of the
order.
These last two lines are the same as the last

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Rode the six hundred.

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Cannon to right of
them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them

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Volleyed & thundered;

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Stormed at with shot

and shell,

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Boldly they rode and

well,

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Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred

two lines in the first stanza.

It emphasizes 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 defenseless
against their enemies, and many of them were
killed.

Stanza 3
The soldiers were surrounded by enemy
cannon, left, right, and front.
The repetition of the words Cannon sounds like
explosives. The poet made it clear that they
were surrounded by powerful weapons and that
there was very little chance of them surviving.
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.
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,
destructive force that reminds the speaker of a
storm.
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 skillful despite the horrors they
faced.
This shows us how heroic these men were.
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 waiting 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 mens lives had been snatched from them
suddenly and violently.
Repetition of the six hundred in each
stanza gives the idea of the large numbers of
men involved. It also creates an image of a
chaotic battle.

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.
3. Death
Many of the brave soldiers in the Light Brigade died in this battle.
4. Duty
The soldiers in the Light Brigade were just doing their job; they were soldiers
and it was their duty to fight. Thats what makes them heroic, but It 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.