Poem The Charge Of The Light Brigade (Form 4) :

Meaning
Line STANZA 1
no.
1 Half a league, half a
league,
2 Half a league onward,
3 All in the valley of Death
4 Rode the six hundred.
5 “Forward, the Light
Brigade!
6 Charge for the guns!” he
said.
7 Into the valley of Death
8 Rode the six hundred.
INTERPRETATION
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– the brigade/battalion was
charging forward in the battlefield
The place where many soldiers
would die in the battle (very scary
& uncertain)
The exact number of soldiers was
600, riding horses
The captain commanded the
soldiers to move forward bravely
Note: they are called "Light" to
separate them from the "Heavy
Brigade," another kind of cavalry
unit at the time.Tennyson's poem
is based on real events. In 1854,
there was a Charge of the Light
Brigade during the Crimean War.
The soldiers were ordered to
attack
The soldiers moved to the
battlefield, prepared to fight and to
die fighting.The brigade was
ordered into the valley, even
though they knew that they were
going to die.
Emphasis on the small number of
soldiers – few but brave soldiers
riding on horseback

Line STANZA 2 INTERPRETATION

no.
1 “Forward, the Light Again, the captain commanded
the soldiers to move forward
Brigade!”
Was there any soldier who would lose
2 Was there a man
his courage, be terrified or sad?
dismayed?
3 Not though the soldier Of course the Light Brigade was
knew too tough and loyal to feel
dismayed. These men did not feel
discouraged at all. They were

4 Some one had blundered.
5 Theirs not to make reply,
6 Theirs not to reason why,
7 Theirs but to do and die.
8 Into the valley of Death
9 Rode the six hundred.
Line STANZA 3
no.
1 Cannon to right of them,
2 Cannon to left of them,
3 Cannon in front of them
4 Volleyed and thundered;
5 Stormed at with shot and
shell,
6 Boldly they rode and well,
7 Into the jaws of Death,
8 Into the mouth of Hell
9 Rode the six hundred.
ready to do their job, even though
the order might be crazy (to meet
their death).
The soldiers knew that this charge
was not a good idea, that
someone had made a mistake.
The soldiers were loyal and
obedient – they did not talk back
to their commander
Or to figure out the point of the
attack
All they could do was to ride and
fight and possibly die
Repetition of stanza 1 – to
emphasize courage/bravery,
loyalty, commitment, duty
INTERPRETATION
The soldiers were surrounded by
enemy cannon on their left, right
and front. Bad news for the Light
Brigade – they were actually
surrounded by enemies.
So the huge walls of cannon all
around them were firing and
making a sound like thunder
The soldiers in the Light Brigade
were being shot at with bullets
and big explosives fired from the
cannon - a violent, noisy,
destructive force that sounded like
a storm.
These soldiers were not scared of
the gunfire. They rode bravely,
confidently and with
determination. It shows us how
heroic these men were.
They were ready/willing to die of
honour
‘Hell’ – suffering and torture but
the soldiers were brave
600 brave/courageous soldiers –
men of honour
POEM 1 : THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH (by Jackie Kay)
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.
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

6 white hand in black hand.
seen in their linked hands.

Her grandmother’s blue eyes suggests that her

7 Her sharp blue eyes look her death in the eye.
death is near.

Stanza 2
Line Meaning

8 It was true after all; that look. The persona’s reference of death came true.

The grandmother became thinner and more

9 My tall grandmother became small.
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