The Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Lord Tennyson

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• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892, UK)

Topic: Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854.

Read the poem on page 23-24 of your Literature Reader.

The Charge of the Light Brigade

01:12

Why were they called the Light Brigade?

1. they wore lightly coloured uniforms
2. they carried only lances and sabres
3. they charged at first light
4. they carried torches into battle

01:31

What is a poet laureate?

1. a poet appointed by a country's head of state
2. a poet with a university degree
3. a poet who is very popular
4. a poet who writes in Latin

02:04

What is NOT a characteristic of a traditional ballad?

1. historic content
2. slow love song
3. often sung
4. recurring refrain

02:37

Do you understand how dactylic dimeter works?

03:32

Why did Tennyson change the meter in "Someone had blundered"?

Content

Open your Literature Reader to page 25 and take notes of the background information and the correct answers to the following questions.

Setting

“The Valley of Death”, 25 October 1854

The Battle of Balaclava, near the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia’s principal naval base on the Black Sea, on the Crimean Peninsula (below Ukraine)

A fair fight?

Russians: 25,000 soldiers (infantry and artillery)

British: 650 soldiers (cavalry, armed with lances and sabres) The English were fighting cannons with swords. 

Within a few minutes, over a hundred men had died.

What was the role of the soldiers? Which three lines make that clear?

What did Tennyson mean with: ‘all the world wondered’?

Speaking Exercise

With your group, in English, discuss whether or not you think these men deserve to be called ‘noble’ (stanza 6). Explain your opinion. Do you agree? 

Time: 3 minutes

What are the themes in this poem?

What is the message of this poem?

Is this a patriotic poem? Does it glorify war?

Literary Terms

The next few questions are on the form of the poem. Open your Literature Reader to page 24 and take notes of the correct answers.

Give an example of enjambment.

Give an example of repetition and explain why Tennyson uses it.

Give examples of alliteration

Give three examples of imagery (they can be metaphors, symbols and/or personifications).

What did you think of this poem?

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