1. LO: TO be able to make clear and detailed annotations
Annotating the Poem
LO: TO be able to make clear and detailed annotations
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.
Stanza 2 "Forward, the Light Brigade!"  Was there a man dismayed?  Not though the soldier knew  Someone had blundered.  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.
Stanza 3 Cannon to right of them,  Cannon to left of them,  Cannon in front of them  Volleyed and thundered;  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 4  Flashed all their sabres bare,  Flashed as they turned in air  Sab'ring the gunners there,  Charging an army, while  All the world wondered.  Plunged in the battery-smoke  Right thro' 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.
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,  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!

2. Courage Death Duty Warfare Respect
Themes
Courage
Death
Duty
Warfare
Respect

3. Themes Warfare Courage Death Duty Respect Number 1 theme!
This is a poem about a battle
All images in the poem relate to it:
Cannons
Bullets
Smoke
Sabres
Poem about guts
Every last soldier charges forward to the enemy line – they know how dangerous it is but they do it anyway
Message about the heroism of ordinary, nameless soldiers
Many of the soldiers die = tragedy
Death is everywhere in this poem – constant presence
Almost like a character
Valley where battle takes place belongs to death
Death = physical presence that you can see and touch
Just soldiers doing their job - duty to fight
This is what makes their deaths tragic
Celebration of loyalty to commander who they know has given a bad order
ALT has written this so that their memory lasts forever

4. Themes Warfare Death Duty & Courage Warfare Courage & Death
Description of intense warfare
Death
Biblical place – adds hope?
Warfare
War imagery
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.
Stanza 2 "Forward, the Light Brigade!"  Was there a man dismayed?  Not though the soldier knew  Someone had blundered.  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.
Stanza 3 Cannon to right of them,  Cannon to left of them,  Cannon in front of them  Volleyed and thundered;  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 4  Flashed all their sabres bare,  Flashed as they turned in air  Sab'ring the gunners there,  Charging an army, while  All the world wondered.  Plunged in the battery-smoke  Right thro' 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.
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,  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!
Duty & Courage
Unity and strength as a whole. The tragic loss of so many lives
Courage
These men are heroes
Warfare
Sums up what the poem is about – the battle
Courage & Death
Shows their bravery AND skill in the face of death
Warfare & Courage
They are fighting guns with sabres. Are they doomed?
Courage
EVERY one of the 600 shows courage, whether dead or alive at the end
Duty & Courage
They do it even though they know they will probably die because it is their duty
Warfare
Real, brutal violence
Respect
We should remember them.
Why the poem was written.

5. Charge of the Light Brigade
Imagery & Symbolism
Opposite to ‘heavy brigade’ in war
Charge of the Light Brigade
Misleading title?
‘Light’ suggests good/sun/brightness/happiness/holy light
Actually about the opposite

6. Imagery & Symbolism Jaws of Death
Variation on the theme (valley/jaws) but jaws = more violent.
Personification of Death – makes it a character in the poem – not just a valley, but a monster.
Cannon
Now the guns/cannon are real & very deadly – they are surrounded by gunfire. Faceless enemy.
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.
Stanza 2 "Forward, the Light Brigade!"  Was there a man dismayed?  Not though the soldier knew  Someone had blundered.  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.
Stanza 3 Cannon to right of them,  Cannon to left of them,  Cannon in front of them  Volleyed and thundered;  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 4  Flashed all their sabres bare,  Flashed as they turned in air  Sab'ring the gunners there,  Charging an army, while  All the world wondered.  Plunged in the battery-smoke  Right thro' 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.
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,  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!
Light
Makes them sound like the ‘good guys’
Valley of Death
1st major visual image
Haunts whole poem
Mouth of Hell
Personification of hell/evil
Powerful image of fear & danger – they are being swallowed up. Hell = fire/heat/suffering
Coming back from the other side: They’ve seen hell, faced death and are now returning
Sabres
Symbol of their heroism & power.
Romantic image of soldier on horse with sword.
Guns
Dangerous image of charging towards guns. Is this a good idea?
Repetition of ‘not’ and ‘left’
Emphasises those who did not return - Tragic

7. Form & Structure Irregular Rhyme
Not a firm rhyme scheme – ‘nearly’ rhymes
Gives the effect of uneasiness or something not being quite right
Dactylic Dimeter
DACTYL = 1 stressed syllable followed by 2 stressed syllables in a foot
DIMETER = 2 feet per line
Strict metre that creates a regular rhythm
Sound effects
Trotting hooves/boom of cannon
Pulls you into the world of the poem

8. Form & Structure Dactylic Dimeter creates sound effects
Booming sound of each stressed syllable = sound of cannon
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.
Stanza 2 "Forward, the Light Brigade!"  A Was there a man dismayed?  A Not though the soldier knew  B Someone had blundered.  C Theirs not to make reply,  D Theirs not to reason why,  D Theirs but to do and die.  D Into the valley of Death  E Rode the six hundred C
Stanza 3 Cannon to right of them,  Cannon to left of them,  Cannon in front of them  Volleyed and thundered;  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 4  Flashed all their sabres bare,  Flashed as they turned in air  Sab'ring the gunners there,  Charging an army, while  All the world wondered.  Plunged in the battery-smoke  Right thro' 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.
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,  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!
Like the sound of hooves/cannon
…Pulls you into the world of the poem
1st half of poem = charge
2nd half of poem = retreat

9. Irregular rhyme scheme
Form & Structure
Dactylic Dimeter
Strict metre creates a regular rhythm.
Reflects the strictness of the army & creates sound effects
Feet
Rhyming couplet
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"  A Was there a man dismayed?  A Not though the soldier knew  B Someone had blundered.  C Theirs not to make reply,  D Theirs not to reason why,  D Theirs but to do and die.  D Into the valley of Death  E Rode the six hundred C
Rhyming triplet
Stressed syllables
Near/slant rhyme
Irregular rhyme scheme
Creates a sense of uneasiness – all is not well.
Reflects that mistakes have been made.