‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
Stanza 1
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.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
● Use of dactyls: a stressed word is followed by 2 unstressed words. It fastens the pace since the poem takes
place during the battle.
● Use of repetition and anaphora by repeating ‘half a league’.
● A league is a unit of distance (=3.4 miles)
● Use of dactyls: a stressed word is followed by 2 unstressed words. It fastens the pace since the poem takes
place during the battle.
● The word ‘rode’ implies that the light brigades are riding on horses, carrying light weapons.
● The use of imperatives and exclamations implies that these commands are very strict with confidence and
are determined.
● ‘He’ is the general of the light brigades. He orders them what to do.
● The light brigades obey the general’s orders and kept riding.
● The phrase suggests that the light brigades will die by entering it. It’s biblical reference to suggest the
presence of God with the 600 soldiers. They are fighting for a good cost against evil. Although the place
seems doomed and sinister, the soldiers are willing to sacrifice themselves. The poet adds glory to the light
brigades.
● The ‘valley of Death’ is repeated twice in this stanza. It implies that the situation is hopeless and the
soldiers are beyond saving. The chance of their survival is minimal.
● ‘Death’ has a capital letter. It is either the name of a place or a person. Death is personified here. If Death
is someone who exists, and that the valley belongs to him, it makes the valley much more sinister. The
light brigades are almost like taking a trip to hell, going to a land where evil lives. It adds to the thought
that the soldiers are not likely to come back.
o It leads to the question on whether the soldiers are brave or stupid to go there, since they are going
on a suicide mission.
● The imagery of the ‘valley of death’ is like a desert with skulls of animals and humans, there is no light
symbolising hope.
‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ Alfred Lord Tennyson
Stanza 1 Points-to-note

✔ The mood is hopeless/ sinister/ foreboding/ ominous/ doomed. The light brigades’ death is almost inevitable.
✔ There is a fast pace created with the use of dactyl. It gives an energetic, quick but steady feeling at the same time. It could mimic the image of
galloping horses that the brigades ride on, and due to the fact the scene takes place in the battlefield.
✔ Use of dramatic irony: we, as readers, know that the soldiers are going to the ‘valley of death’ and that the chance of survival is minimal.
However, the light brigades do not. The audience are operating at a higher awareness of what is going to happen to the soldiers.

Stanza 2

‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’ ● The repetition of the phrase in stanza 1 reveals their determination.

Was there a man dismayed? ● This word has connotation as being concerned and worried. Is there anyone in those 600 men worried or
concerned? It is not answered immediately which creates suspense.

Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered
● This line answers the question: the light brigades are not worried or concerned.
● Are the soldiers courageous or stupid that they are not disobeying their general despite the fact that they are
sent on a suicide mission?
● Use of enjambment: what the soldiers do not know is revealed in next line.
● ‘Blundered’ means to make a careless mistake. The light brigades are not worried even though their general’s
order is mistaken.
● The soldiers know that their leader has made a mistake, yet they still go on their mission, a battle in which
they are going to die without any concerns and worries. Are they courageous and loyal, or stupid?
● The poet may be criticising how irrational, stupid and naïve the soldiers are, but may also be praising them
for being courageous and fearless. The poet seems to be praising them as he uses a biblical allusion to suggest
that the light brigade is on the same side as God’s.
● These 2 lines discuss the soldiers’ reactions towards their general. When the poet reviews their stupidity,
there is still space to prove how brave they are. Also, there are only 2 lines which explains the ‘blunder’,
therefore the main focus of the poem is about the soldiers, not about blaming the the ‘blunder’.

Theirs not to make reply ● ‘Theirs’ refers to the soldiers. Its repetition shows how unified they are. They carry out the orders together.
‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ Alfred Lord Tennyson
Theirs not to reason why ● The use of anaphora and consecutive rhymes stress their ultimate obedience and duty. These devices make
the sentence stand out from the rest of the poem.
Theirs but to do and die.
● The alliteration of plosives emphasizes the words ‘do’ and ‘die’. It is the most important part of the soldiers’
job. The soldiers are not supposed to refuse, question or to point out the mistakes of the orders, but to carry
out all the orders and die.

Into the valley of Death ● The motif reoccurs.

Rode the six hundred.

Stanza 3

Cannon to right of them, ● The use of anaphora reinforces the imagery of war.
● Cannons are huge weapons. The use of repetition and same structure in short lines suggests that the light
brigades are surrounded by cannons and reinforces how destructive cannons are.
Cannon to left of them,
● The alliteration of plosives of ‘C’ reinforces the noise in the battlefield, supplementing the visual imagery
which intensifies focus on the cannons but not the soldiers.
Cannon in front of them ● The shift of focus foreshadows that the soldiers have very little chance of surviving even though they are
very brave. It intensifies the atmosphere of the scene and creates tension.
● The soldiers are surrounded in different directions. Retreat is the only way of survival as there are no cannons
at their back. However the light brigades are not likely to do it and it foreshadows that they are not likely to
survive.

Volleyed and thundered;

‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
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.
Stanza 3 Points-to-note
✔ Stanza 3 has rather short sentences and short vowels such as ‘cannon’, ‘right’, ‘them’ and ‘volleyed’. Together with the use of plosives and
one syllable words, it creates a fast pace since it takes place in the battlefield.
Stanza 4
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Alfred Lord Tennyson
● The alliteration of sibilance adds sinister feelings to the brutal scene as everything is associated with
destructive weapons.
● The imagery of storms and thunders is deadly and suggests that the situation is beyond the light brigades’
control. There is little chance for them to live.
● The ‘valley of Death’ is transformed to the ‘jaws of death’. It is an extension of the personification in stanzas
1 and 2 intensified the danger. The image of ‘Death’ is animalistic like a monstrous beast. It suggests that it
is going to devour the soldiers up and there is almost no chance for them to survive.
● The religious imagery (use of ‘hell’) suggests that the poet is against evil, and that the 600 soldiers are the
‘right’ ones.
● The first 3 stanzas end with the same imagery: ‘rode the six hundred’. It reminds us of the soldiers’
determination and the number of people.
● The use of past tense, ‘rode’, suggests that the light brigades are no longer riding which creates a foreboding
mood. They are going to visit ‘Death’.
● Use of anaphora
● The alliteration of fricatives emphasizes on the repetition of ‘F’ sounds which are quick and harsh. It also
creates the imagery of flashing. Together it gives readers a sense of speed.
‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
● The use of rhymes fastens the pace.
● The 600 light brigades are fighting against an entire army which may consist of thousands of people. It
again reminds us of their bravery.
● Possible reasons why ‘the world wondered’:
1. The whole world is full of awe and admiration for the bravery of the 600 soldiers. They are dutiful,
obedient and brave.
2. People are curious about the outcome.
3. Sarcastically, people could not believe the ‘blunder’ made by the general.
● The plosive of ‘P’ creates a sound imagery. It emphasis on the violent actions.
● The word has connotations with falling into something deep. It suggests that they are devoured by the
smoke from the cannons.
● The light brigades’ are still not done yet. They insisted to ‘break through the line’. They are powerful and
fearless even though the smoke is portrayed as an image of a beast swallowing them up.
● The rhyme speeds up the pace of the poem. Everything is happening very quickly because it is in the
battlefield.
● Use of alliteration of sibilance. The short sounds of ‘s’ shows how fast the pace still is. It emphasizes the
mood of violence, evilness and viciousness.
● The short vowels again emphasize the shortness of speed and give a sense of violence.
● The ending lines is changed now and is clearly visible since the first 3 stanzas all repeat ‘rode the six
hundred’. It suggests that some of the light brigades died.
● The motif of the ‘six hundred’ still reoccurs, though, and reminds us of their determination. These men will
not give up and will succeed.
● ‘Rode back’, which is similar to the ending lines of stanza 1-3; sounds like the soldiers are almost
successful. But ‘not the six hundred’ suggests that they are indeed not completely successful as not all of
them could return from the war, some of the soldiers died during the battle.
‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
Stanza 5
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell.
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death,
Alfred Lord Tennyson
● The use of anaphora reinforces the image of war.
● The repetition of the triplet suggests that the light brigades are surrounded by cannons and tells how
destructive the cannon are.
● The alliteration of plosives of ‘C’ reinforces the noise in the battlefield and short vowels fastens the pace,
supplementing the visual imagery which intensifies focus on the cannons but not the soldiers.
● Now the light brigades are on their way back, but the situation is still the same as when they are going to
war. This image reminds the readers of what they have to go through: ‘the valley of Death’.
● Onomatopoeia suggests that this place is dangerous, noisy and loud. The readers seem like to be able to
hear the noises of the cannons.
● The alliteration of sibilance adds sinister feeling to the brutal scene as everything is associated with
destructive weapons.
● We are reminded that the riders are losing. Not only the soldiers, but also the horses are destroyed. The
scale of defeat is massive.
● The word suggests that the poet view the soldiers as heroic and brave. They fight bravely but sacrifice for
protecting his country and people.
● The poet admires and glorifies the soldiers’ bravery and sacrifice.
● The poet again shows admiration for how well the soldiers fought.
● The use of short vowels creates a quick pace. The poem has not slowed down even for a moment.
● The light brigades are facing the ‘jaws of Death’. The image is more vicious and brutal than the ‘valley of
Death’ and the ‘mouth of hell’. As Death is personified as a beast, the ‘jaws’ create an ominous and macabre
image of sharp, massive teeth which are going to tear the soldiers who are bravely entering into pieces.
‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them
Left of six hundred.
Stanza 6
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!
Alfred Lord Tennyson
● The light brigades’ entered the mouth of hell in stanza 3, and they are returning now.
● The motif of the ‘six hundred’ changes from ‘not the six hundred’ to ‘left of six hundred’. It suggest that
there are not much of the six hundred left.
● The motif is used to emphasise the determination of the soldiers in the first 3 stanzas, but starting from
stanza 4, it emphasise the scale of lost and reminds the readers about the massive defeat they have suffered.
● The use of exclamation marks and interjections creates elevated tone which shows the poet’s emotional
admiration.
● The light brigades are without fear, almost animalistic, without thinking about any danger. It could be seen
as something positive.
● The repetition of this sentence reminds the readers of the light brigades’ sacrifice and the blunder.
● The poet tells the readers directly about what they should do in a form of a command: they must admire
the soldiers as they deserve it.
● The dramatic presentation adopted and use of rhymes enhances the dramatic presentation ‘O’.
● The motif reminds us about the number of the light brigades.
● With the word ‘noble’, the poet emphasises his admiration to the light brigades’ sacrifice.
● The poet might be criticising the ‘blunder’ made by the general which kills most of the light brigade with
a sarcastic tone.