The Charge of the

Light Brigade

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Intro

In the Crimean War

(1854-1856 ) a light
cavalry brigade of the
British forces conducted
a suicidal charge in the
Battle of Balaclava in
Ukraine.
Of the 637
men in the brigade, 247
were
killed.
Britain,
France and Turkey were
fighting Russia. The title
is about the courageous
brigade and their doom.

The Poet

Born in August 6, 1809 , in

Somersby , Lincolnshire ,
England
Born in a middle class family
Studied in Cambridge where
his writing career flourished
One of the most well-loved
Victorian poets. His famous
works includes Ulysses, The
Princess: A Medley And In
Memoriam A.H.H

Stanza

Half a league,
half a league,
Half a league onward,

The soldiers were on their

horses, charging forward.

In the poem, half a league

refers to?

The unit to measure distance

- A league: about 3 miles / 2.5
km

All in the valley of Death

They were moving towards

the battlefield which was
frightening and deadly

Rode the six hundred

There were six hundred

horsemen in the brigade.

How many soldiers are there in

the Light Brigade?

600 men.

Forward, the Light Brigade!

The commander of the brigade

ordered the Horsemen to move
forward.

Charge for the guns! he said

The Light Brigade was ordered

to seize the enemys guns.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

The six hundred soldiers rode

into battle even though they
know they will end their lives.

Stanza

Forward, The Light Brigade!

The commander repeated the

command and move forward.

Was there a man

dismayed?

Were any of the soldiers

scared?

Not though the soldier knew

Someone had blundered

None of the soldiers lost the

courage even though they knew
that someone had made a mistake.

Which of the following words means

mistake?

a)Blunder
b)Dismay
c) Volley
d)Charge

a) blunder

Theirs not to make reply,

It was not the soldiers

place to talk back to their
commander.

Theirs not to reason why,

It was not the soldiers place to

question the order from the
commander.

Theirs but to do and die.

It was their duty to carry out

the command given even if it
results in death.

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

The six hundred soldiers rode into

battle even though they know they
will end their lives.

Stanza

Cannon to right of them,

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

The soldiers were surrounded by

enemy cannon from all sides. Defeat
was clear for the soldiers.

Volleyed and thundered;

The firing of cannons all

around made a thundering
sound.

Stormed at with shot and

shell,

Bullets and explosives

were fired violently like a
storm.

Boldly they rode and well

Despite the attacks, the

soldiers rode on with a
great courage.

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.

The six hundred soldiers rode

into battle even though they
know they will end their lives.

MORAL VALUES

Word Banks

Charge- attack
Brigade- an army or unit or division
League- a distance of roughly 5km
Valley- canyon, dale
Dismay- consternation, terror
Though- despite
Blunder- mistake, error
Cannon- a weapon that shoots large metallic balls
Volley- repeated firing
Storm- attack
Cavalry- horse soldiers, an army division of soldiers on
horseback

Exercise 1

1. Who ordered the cavalry to charge?

2. How many men were there in the cavalry?
3. Were any of the cavalry dismayed at the
order to charge?
4. What did the soldier know?
5. What does the poet mean by theirs but to do
and die?
6. Describe the battle.