Alfred, Lord Tennyson


 Intro

 In the Crimean War (1854-
1856 ) a light cavalry
brigade of the British forces
conducted a suicidal charge
in the Battle of Balaclava in
Ukraine. Of the 637 men in
the brigade, 247 were killed.
Britain, France and Turkey
were fighting Russia. The
title is about the courageous
brigade and their doom.
 The Poet

 Born in August 6, 1809 , in
Somersby , Lincolnshire ,
England
 Born in a middle class family
 Studied in Cambridge where
his writing career flourished
 One of the most well-loved
Victorian poets. His famous
works includes Ulysses, The
Princess: A Medley And In
Memoriam A.H.H
 Half a league,

half a league,
Half a league onward,

The soldiers were on their horses,

charging forward.

In the poem, half a league refers to?


The unit to measure distance

- A league: about 3 miles / 2.5 km
 All in the valley of Death


They were moving towards the

battlefield which was frightening
and deadly

 Rode the six hundred


There were six hundred horsemen in

the brigade.
How many soldiers are there in the

Light Brigade?

600 men.
 “Forward, the Light Brigade!


The commander of the brigade

ordered the Horsemen to move
forward.

 Charge for the guns!” he said


The Light Brigade was ordered to

seize the enemy’s guns.
 Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

The six hundred soldiers rode into

battle even though they know they
will end their lives.

 “Forward, The Light Brigade!”


The commander repeated the

command and move forward.
 Was there a man dismayed?


Were any of the soldiers scared?

 Not though the soldier knew


Someone had blundered

None of the soldiers lost the courage even

though they knew that someone had made
a mistake.

Which of the following words means ‘mistake’?

a) Blunder

b) Dismay
c) Volley
d) Charge

a) blunder
 Theirs not to make reply,


It was not the soldiers’ place to

talk back to their commander.
 Theirs not to reason why,


It was not the soldiers’ place to

question the order from the
commander.
 Theirs but to do and die.


It was their duty to carry out the

command given even if it results in
death.
 Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

The six hundred soldiers rode into battle

even though they know they will end their
lives.
 “Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them,

The soldiers were surrounded by enemy

cannon from all sides. Defeat was clear for
the soldiers.

 Volleyed and thundered;


The firing of cannons all around

made a thundering sound.

Stormed at with shot and shell,


Bullets and explosives were

fired violently like a storm.
 Boldly they rode and well


Despite the attacks, the soldiers

rode on with a great courage.
 Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.

The six hundred soldiers rode into

battle even though they know they
will end their lives.
 THE COMPLEXITIES OF WAR
-A war can bring out the best
and worst of mankind.
-The violence and tragedy of
war but also celebrate the
courage and loyalty of the
soldiers.
THEMES
COURAGE AND HEROISM
-The poem honours the
bravery and heroism of the
Light Brigade
-The soldiers do not hesitate
to fight in the battle despite
knowing that death awaits
them
LOYALTY AND DUTY
-The soldiers obediently
follow the commander’s
order without question.
-They have a strong sense of
loyalty and are willing to risk
their own lives to do their
duty.
PATRIOTISM
-The soldiers fight bravely to
defend their country.
-Despite knowing the futility
of the situation, their loyalty
never wavers.
MORAL VALUES

 Word Banks

 Charge- attack  Blunder- mistake, error
 Brigade- an army or unit  Cannon- a weapon that
or division shoots large metallic balls
 League- a distance of  Volley- repeated firing
roughly 5km  Storm- attack
 Valley- canyon, dale  Cavalry- horse soldiers, an
 Dismay- consternation, army division of soldiers on
terror horseback
 Though- despite
 Exercise 1

1. Who ordered the cavalry to charge?
2. How many men were there in the cavalry?
3. Were any of the cavalry dismayed at the order to
charge?
4. What did the soldier know?
5. What does the poet mean by “theirs but to do and
die”?
6. Describe the battle.