‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ is a poem written in 1854 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It describes the courage of 600 British cavalrymen in the Crimean War. Hopelessly outnumbered by 2,500 Russian troops, they obeyed the order to advance into a valley where Russian artillery on the hills overhead rained down a hail of shells and bullets (quite like the soldiers who had machine gunfi re rained down on them at Gallipoli).
This cavalry charge is one of the most disastrous military decisions of all time. In disbelief at what they saw, the Russian rifl emen on the hills fi red on the charging cavalry. Then the artillery at the end of the valley blasted them with cannon fi re. Finally, the Russian troops swept down and encircled them.
In less than twenty minutes, out of 600 men, 250 were killed or severely wounded. Over 400 horses died. Throughout all, the cavalry kept advancing through the thick smoke of enemy fi re. They said it was like ‘riding into the mouth of a volcano’.
What I will learn:
how a poet uses rhythm, repetition, personifi cation and imagery to create drama, fast pace and excitement in telling a story
Alfred, Lord Tennyson was one of the most popular poets of his time. This poem became one of the best known and most popular he wrote.
As you read this poem, listen out for the rhythm and the eff ect this has on the tone of the poem. Note the use of refrain as well.
