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Grade Nine essay :comparing Charge of the Light Brigade vs Kamikaze
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Grade Nine exemplar: Comparing Charge of the Light Brigade vs Kamikaze
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Compare how poets present ideas about power in Charge of the Light Brigade and in one other poem from Powerand Conflict.
Ideas about power is explicitly presented in ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ (COTLB) and ‘Ozymandias’. In COTLB, Lord
Alfred Tennyson leads us through the moment in the Crimean war where a group of “six hundred” soldiers are
misled by their leader, and many end up dying. The poet admires and intends to honour the soldier’s commitment,
loyalty and bravery. On the other hand, Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland is a retelling of a daughter telling her children
what she imagines her father, a Kamikaze pilot, was thinking as he turned his plane around during a suicide mission,
in Japan, during World War II.
Lord Alfred Tennyson presents the power of those in charge during the war. The “six hundred” soldiers are told to
“charge for the guns!” into the “valley of Death”. This metaphor foreshadows the soldiers’ eventual deaths. It could
also highlight how it was at this moment that the soldiers’ all realised that they had been misdirected, and it would
lead to fatal consequences. The phrase “someone had blundered”, is the moment where we realise that even
though the soldiers are aware of this mistake, they still decided to continue, so this could also highlight the power of
the authority that those in command have. The anaphora of “theirs not to... theirs but to do and die” highlights how
they had absolutely no other choice but to obey.
On the other hand, Beatrice Garland presents the power of free will and autonomy, and how that can greatly affect
the future in war. Unlike the “six hundred” soldiers, the Kamikaze pilot had the power to make the decision to turn
around, so he did that. We know that it was a suicide mission as he only had enough “fuel” for a one-way trip. As the
soldier is flying over the “green-blue” sea, he noticed a “dark tuna” amongst a “shoal” of fish, that are swimming in a
“figure of eight”. Firstly, the figure of eight shape is similar to an infinity sign, and could represent how he feels the
rest of society are continuing in a constant, comfortable loop of regularity and routine. Secondly, he views him self as
the “fresh” “tuna” that is swimming amongst them, clearly different and unique to the rest of them. It is possible
that this leads him to reconsider if he wants to continue with the suicide mission and leave his family behind.
Contrastingly, Tennyson clearly presents the power of loyalty and patriarchy. Towards the end of the poem, he
repeats “all the world wondered”, which immortalises the soldiers’ astonishing act of bravery. The rhetorical
question “when can their glory fade?” compels his readers to honour their unflinching bravery. The repetition of the
phrase “cannon to the…” emphasises that they are now completely surrounded and helpless, gaining empathy from
the reader. Their defeat is painfully evident on the line “not the six hundred”. Also, Tennyson employs a valiant and
honouring tone and uses extremely patriarchal and praising phrases such as “honour”, “fought so well” and “noble”,
showing that their brave act was for the country and their dignity. Furthermore, the rhythm of the poem is a dactylic
diameter, which is arguably similar to a horse’s gallop, emphasising their patriarchy.
On the other hand, we see the power of conflicted loyalties in Kamikaze. It is worth noting that the structure of the
poem is made up of tightly controlled six stanza lines, which could reflect his order and obedience, but this is quickly
ignored as we learn he decides to turn the plane around. Also, the free verse rhyme scheme undercuts the strict
stanza structure perhaps reflecting his doubts. The Kamikaze pilot decides to turn his plane around, as he hopes his
family will be missing him as he missed his father when he was younger, however ironically the complete opposite
happens. Unlike in COTLB, where the soldier is celebrated, the soldier in Kamikaze loses respect from his family
and they treat him “as though he no longer existed”. This shows that the family’s priority wasn’t the pilot, but
instead the country. Furthermore, in the last two lines of the poem, Garland writes “she”, showing that the
perspective has shifted again to third person, as she has rendered him voiceless by betrayal.
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