The Charge of the

Light Brigade
Alfred Tennyson

The Charge of the Light Brigade was

a disastrous charge of British
cavalry led by
Lord Cardigan against Russian forces
during the
Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 18
54 in the
Crimean War.

Alfred Lord Tennysons was Poet Laureate at the time.

His lines have made the charge a symbol of warfare at both its
most courageous and its most tragic.

Lord Cardigan led the charge from the front and, never
looking back, did not see what was happening to the
troops behind him.
He reached the Russian guns, took part in the fight and
then returned alone up the valley without bothering to
rally or even find out what had happened to the
survivors.
600 horsemen followed orders to attack the Russians.
Two thirds of them were killed or injured.
The Russians were so surprised by the rashness, they
thought the British were drunk!
Cardigan left the field and went on board his yacht in
Balaclava harbour, where he ate a champagne dinner!

News of the Charge reached England three weeks

later.

War correspondent
William Russell, who witnessed the battle, declared "ou
r Light Brigade was annihilated by their own rashness,
and by the brutality of a ferocious
enemy

Link to You Tube 6min

video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uj5bilCQEDU

Tennyson's
poem, published on 9 December 1854 in The Examiner, p
raises the Brigade, "When can their glory fade? O the
wild charge they made!", while trenchantly mourning
the appalling futility of the charge: "Not tho' the s
oldier knew, someone had blunder'd Charging an army,
while all the world wonder'd
.
Tennyson wrote the poem inside only a few minutes aft
er reading an account of the battle in The Times, acc
ording to his grandson Sir Charles Tennyson
.
It
immediately became hugely popular, even reaching the
troops in the Crimea, where it was distributed in p
amphlet form.

I
Half a league, half a league, Half a lea
in the valley of Death Rode the six hu
the Light Brigade!"Charge for the gun
the valley of Death Rode the six hund

II
Forward, the Light Brigade!"Was there a man
dismay'd?Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had
blunder'd: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 the
left of them,Cannon in
Volley'd and thunder'd
with shot and shell,Bo
and well,Into the jaws
the mouth of Hell Rod
hundred.

IV
Flash'd all their sabres
they turn'd in air,Sabr
there,Charging an arm
world wonder'd:Plunge
battery-smokeRight th
they broke;Cossack an
Reel'd from the sabre
Shatter'd and sunder'd
rode back, but not No
hundred.

V
Cannon to right of the
left of them,Cannon b
Volley'd and thunder'd
with shot and shell,Wh
hero fell,They that had
Came thro' the jaws o
from the mouth of Hel
left of them, Left of six

VI
When can their glory fade?O the wild
charge they made! All the world
wondered.Honour the charge they
made,Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

Thundering
rhythm
throughout the
poem, echoes
horses hooves.
Charging into
guns, obviously
very
dangerous,
they knew they
were heading
into danger

3 miles is a league, so half

a league would not be very
far on a galloping horse.
I
Valley of Death refers to an
Half a league, half a league,
Half
a league
onward
episode
of John
Bunyons
Progress
and to Psalm
in the valley of Death Pilgrims
Rode the
six hundred."Forw
23 from
New
Testament
of
the Light Brigade!"Charge
forthe
the
guns!"
he said:I
the Bible: in both of these
the valley of Death Rode
the six hundred.
sources, faith makes people
brave when they are faced with
Doesnt saydeath.
who he is, or why.
Highlights the blind obedience
soldiers follow in war. In reality
it was a command that was
misunderstood.
Valley of Death, repeated.
The audience of the time
would all have known the
outcome of the battle,
that only around 100
escaped unscathed.

Repetition of
shouted order,
the men are not
afraid though,
accentuates
their bravery.

However, all the soldiers

knew that a mistake had
been made, but they
still followed orders.
II
Incredible for a civilian
Forward, the Light Brigade!"Was
there
a man
to understand
this
dismay'd?Not tho' the soldier loyalty.
knew Someone

blunder'd:Theirs not to make

reply,Theirs
Regimented
style not
reason why,Theirs but to reflects
do andthe
die:Into
soldiersthe v
devotion to duty &
Death Rode the six hundred.
militarism. They realise
they are heading
towards death but
continue to follow
orders. We are privy to
their thoughts.

Perspective shifts once

more & we see the
wider picture, more
repetition of Valley of
Death.

Barrage is like a
force of nature,
so massive,
nothing men can
do anything
about.

Nobility of
soldiers, they
continue to
ride well
even as its
towards their
deaths.

III

Repeated 3 times,
speech writers always
repeat 3 times, far
more effective. Gives
an idea of the layout
of the battlefield,
soldiers are
surrounded.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot
and shell,Boldly they
rode and well,Into the
jaws of Death,Into the
mouth of Hell Rode the
Extended metaphor of
six hundred.

Valley of Death. They death

is not glorious, but hell,
vicious war claiming its
victims.

IV
What is the world
wondering? How
they can be so brave
in the face of such a
mighty force? That
perhaps they may
win the battle?

Initially they are

successful & the
Russians retreat
under the Cavalrys
attack with swords
sabres bare,Flash'd
rather than guns.as

Flash'd all their

th
turn'd in air,Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while All the world
wonder'd:Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;Cossack a
RussianReel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.Then they rode
back, but not Not the six hundred.
Repetition of not. Their
bravery is resolute, they
will not retreat. Bold &
brave & determined.

have observed
that going into
hell & then
returning is a
common motif in
the mythology of
many of the
worlds cultures,
including one of
the best-known
myths of Western
civilization, the
labours of
Hercules. The
survivors of this
battle are thus
raised to heroic
status by the
words that this
poem uses to
describe the
valleys entrance.

Now the cannons are

behind them, the slight
victory hasnt improved
their situation, the
stormof war is not
them,Cannon
to left of
relenting

Cannon to right of
them,Cannon behind them Volley'd and
thunder'd;Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,They that had
fought so wellCame thro' the jaws of Deat
Back from the mouth of Hell,All that was
left of them, Left of six hundred.

Repetition
again, we
wonder how
they can have
obeyed
obviously
flawed orders.

Little outright criticism

of leaders, upholding
establishment & call to
glory of soldiers & of
doing ones duty
without question.

VI

We are
addressed
directly & asked
to answer a
question. But its
beyond our
comprehension.
fade?O

When can their glory

the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they
We are told how to
made,Honour the Lightfeel about them,
Brigade, Noble six hundred.
remember context,

Poet laureate,
patriotic, writing
for mass audience,
many of whom
would have been
uneducated.
Celebrate their
honour. A tribute to
their bravery