These notes on Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson is perfect for your AQA English literature revision. It contains everything from context, to quotes, to ideas. It is a condensed document of everything you need to know to get a grade 9 in your exam!
CONTEXT
• Tennyson lived from 1809 - 1892
• He was a poet laureate and won an award for his poems.
• Tennyson was not on the battlefield so there is a sense of detachment throughout his poems
• Victorian Era – It was a crime to not be willing to die for your country
MAIN IDEAS
• The poem glorifies the Brigade and the noble sacrifice they made for their country
• There is a careful balance of the violence the soldiers experienced and the glory of dying for
one’s country
• The poem presents the soldiers as a unit rather than individuals, reinforcing how honorable it is to
be part of an army with a common purpose
QUOTES
“Half a league, Half a league, half a league onwards” – Rhythm mimics the galloping of the horses
providing an unstoppable impression
“Valley of Death” – Biblical reference alludes to the horror they will face. There are connotations of hell
and a sense of no escape.
- Personified metaphor gives death power. It causes death to become a predator, seeking out
the Light Brigade.
“Rode the six hundred” – Creates the impression of one group with one purpose.
“Was there a man dismayed?” – Rhetorical question → the soldiers knew there was a mistake
(“Someone had blundered”) however, it is their duty to obey orders.
- They are respected for their decision to storm on → shows the futility of soldiers.
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