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Charge of the Light Brigade - Coggle Diagram
Charge of the Light Brigade
This poem celebrates the heroism and bravery of soldiers in the Crimean War which was fought between Britain and Imperial Russia from 1853-1856. In the Battle of Balaclava, an order given to the British army's cavalry (the Light Brigade) was misunderstood and 600 cavalrymen ended charging down a valley straight into the fire of Russian cannons. Over 150 British soldiers were killed, and more than 120 were wounded.
About
The poem describes a disastrous battle between British cavalry (soldiers in horseback) and Russian forces during the Crimean War (1853-1856. A misunderstanding meant that the Light Brigade were ordered to advance into a valley surrounded by enemy soldiers. The cavalry were only armed with swords, whereas the Russian soldiers had guns. The Light Brigade were virtually defenceless against their enemies, and many of them were killed.
Feelings and attitudes in the poem
Admiration. The narrator admires the bravery and sacrifice of the men because they obeyed orders even though they knew death was likely. He thinks that the world should recognise their bravery and appreciate their sacrifice.
Patriotism. The men followed the orders because of their duty to their country, and the speaker portrays them as heroes for doing this.
Horror. There's a suggestion that the narrator is horrified by the violence of the battle
Heroic language
Adverbs like "Boldly" and verbs like "Charging" emphasise the men's bravery. Respectful language shows how the narrator feels the soldiers should be remembered.
Violent language
The narrator chooses powerful verbs and adjectives to give a strong sense of the violence of the battle, and uses sounds to create a vivid, noisy, hellish setting
Reality of Conflict
The poem creates a noisy and frightening picture of the battle using onomatopoeia ("thunder'd"), violent verbs ("Flash'd") and a relentless, galloping rhythm. This emphasises the men's bravery and heroism
However, ther;s a distance between the speaker and the battlefield- the battle is recounted like a story, and the chronological structure helps impose order on the events
Repetition
Repetition creates a sense of impending doom and inevitability. Repetition of "six hundred" at the end of each stanza reinforces the idea of the large numbers of men involved, with the references to them summarising the story of the battle
Effects of Conflict
Death or serious injury is the ultimate result of the battle for many of the soldiers. The repetition of phrases lie "valley of Death" and "mouth of Hell" creates an ominous mood and confirms there is no escaping their fate.
The speaker focuses on the extensive loss of life in the charge- each stanza ends with a references to the "six hundred" to remind the reader of the huge human cost involved
The poem also shows how war can inspire great bravery and sacrifice. The soldiers do their duty even though they believe they are probably going to die in the process
The poem is about war, life and death, sacrifice and folly. It naturally links to conflict and is effective at showing peoples views on war of the time. The poem also contains a lot of reference to biblical/religious ideas as well as bravery and fear.
The military language is mixed with religious allusion to suggest an epic scale, emphasising the risk and bravery.