THE CHARGE OF LIGHT BRIGADE

GLOSSORY

 

 Half a League: Distance of one and half miles

 Valley of Death: The enemy firing line where death is certain

 Dismayed: Feel Discouraged

 Blundered: made a serious mistake

 Volleyed and thundered: Fired cannon balls repeatedly

 Jaws of death: The enemy lines where death was certain

 Mouth of hell: The area where they were sure to be killed

 Sabres bare: naked, Drawn swords

 Sundered: Enemy soldier began to run in confusion

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

Q 1 Who wrote the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”?

Ans. Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Q 2 How many soldiers were there in the Light Brigade?

Ans. Six hundred.

Q 3With what did the soldiers of the Light Brigade attack on Russian gunners?

Ans. With their swords.

Q4 How many soldiers came back alive from the field?

Ans. Only a handful of them.

Q5 Who were the enemy soldiers?

Ans. Russians and Cossacks.

Q6 Whose glory can never fade?

Ans. Of the Light Brigade.

ABOUT POET

 

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was the most renowned poet of the Victorian era. He was born on August 6, 1809, in Somersby, Lincolnsire, England, where his father was the rector. He was a bright and talented student. He began writing poetry in his teen age. He was first published in 1840.Tennyson was Queen Victoria’s laureate from 1850 until his death in 1892. He excelled at penning short lyrics, such as “Break, Break. Break”, “The charge of Light Brigade” “Tears, Idle Tears” and “Crossing the Bars”

 

INTRODUCTION TO THE POEM

 

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

The poem was inspired by an incident that occurred during the Crimean War (1854_1856) in which the English, the Turks and the French fought against the Russians. During the battle of Balaclava the Russians captured many Turkish guns. The Commander of the Light Brigade, Lord Cardigan, received orders from the seniors Commander to recapture the guns. The order was carried out and the Light Brigade attacked the Russians gun positions with drawn swords. They pounced upon the Russian gunners and broke their line. The soldiers of the Light Brigade displayed rare courage. They came back victorious. But only 195 of the 607 soldiers came back alive. In this poem, the poet pays tribute to the heroism of English soldiers.

 

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

 

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.

 

“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.

 

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.

 

Flashed all their sabres bare,

Flashed as they turned in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wondered.

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right through 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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

Explanation of the poem

 

LINES 1-8

 

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT These lines have been taken from Tennyson's poem, “The charge of the Light Brigade” This poem is a tribute to the heroism of the Light Brigade. The soldiers displayed great courage. They carried out the orders of their commander though it meant sure death.

Explanation In the Crimean war, the Russians captured some guns of the English army. The English army was ordered to recapture the guns. The six hundred English soldiers rode to their deaths. They were marching one and half miles straight into the valley of death. The soldiers knew that it was a wrong order yet they carried out the order willingly and bravely. They pounced upon the Russian gunners with their naked swords.

 

LINES 9- 17

 

Explanation These lines revealed the thoughts of the soldiers as they marched on. Though they knew that someone had made a mistake which would cost them all their lives, they moved forward anyway, to do the duty that they came to do. They did not think that it was their place to respond to the mistakes that was made, nor even try to reason through why they were marching to sure deaths. Rather, they simply saw it as their duty to follow commands and to do what they came to do.

 

Lines 18-26

 

EXPLANATION It is a narrative poem .The poet speaks as one who was there and saw it all. The soldiers knew that they were trapped. There were canons on all sides of them, but still they rode into the battle, and the speaker says they rode very well. In these lines, the reader can imagine the brave young soldiers, riding with their heads held high into a battle where they were sure to lose. The six hundred men rode into “the jaws of death” with the proud valour of soldiers willing to die for their country.

 

Lines 27-38

 

EXPLANATION In these lines the poet revealed that while this army of six hundred charged to their deaths, the rest of the world wondered why they were ordered into that death trap. The only people not wondering, were the soldiers themselves who simply knew that it was their duty to go to the battle, though most were sure to die. At the end of the stanza, the poet revealed that some did make it out alive. These were the ones who “rode back”. However, he clarified that it was “not the six hundred” who returned. He did not reveal how many made it out alive, but history revealed that two hundred and forty seven had returned home from this battle.

 

Lines 39-49

 

Explanation The speaker states that there were canons on all sides of these soldiers and both the “horse and hero fell”. He again attested their bravery by saying that “they had fought so well”. They returned through “the jaws of death” and from “the mouth of the Hell” But they were not the six hundred but only a handful of them.

 

Lines 50-55

 

Explanation The Light Brigade was ordered to attack the Russian gunners. The command was wrongly given. It meant sure death. But the Light Brigade carried out the orders bravely. In this stanza the speaker asks the rhetorical question, “When can their glory fade?” suggesting that they would be forever remembered for their honour in marching so bravely into the valley of death. The speakers repeats “all the world wondered.” It means that people from all the world better understand the intensity of danger they faced. The whole world knew that it was a death trap and they all wondered why they were sent to fight. The poet wishes all honour for those six hundred brave soldier of the Light Brigade. He says that their glory can never fade.

SUMMARY

 

 The charge of Light Brigade celebrates an act of bravery and sacrifice—a suicidal cavalry charge during the Crimean war. This war was fought between the English and the Russians.

 The Russians had captured some guns of the English army. The Light Brigade of English army was ordered to recapture these guns. The soldiers knew that it was a wrong order, given by mistake. It meant sure death for the soldiers. Yet the English army carried out the orders willingly and bravely. They pounced upon the Russian gunners with their swords.

 The Light Brigade was fired upon all sides. The English Army broke through the enemy line. All the world wondered at their brave charge. When these soldiers were running after their successful charge, they were again fired from all sides. Only a handful of them came back alive.

 The Light Brigade displayed rare courage, They carried out even the wrong orders of their commanders. They did not question “why.” Their way was to do and die. They were greatly honoured for their heroism. Their glory can never fade.

Theme Of The Poem

 

The Charge of the Light Brigade” issues a clear call to celebrate the heroism of soldiers who surrender themselves to a greater cause. The soldiers of the light brigade, knowing that their lives are in danger, nevertheless follow orders and charge the enemy gun emplacements at the end of the valley. Assuming that the mission is important and necessary for the success of the British campaign, these men brave the artillery fire from all sides to carry out orders. Tennyson states clearly that such behavior is to be honored, and that the fame of these soldiers deserves perpetual veneration.