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STANZA
1
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INTERPRETATION
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1
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Half
a league, half a league,
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A league is an old way to measure distance, and it was equal
to about 3 miles. So half a league is roughly a mile and a half– the brigade/battalion was
charging
forward in the battlefield
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2
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Half
a league onward,
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3
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All
in the valley of Death
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The
place where many soldiers would die in the battle (very scary &
uncertain)
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4
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Rode
the six hundred.
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The
exact number of soldiers was 600, riding horses
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5
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“Forward,
the Light Brigade!
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The
captain commanded the soldiers to move forward bravely
Note: they
are called "Light" to separate them from the "Heavy
Brigade," another kind of cavalry unit at the time.Tennyson's poem is based on
real events. In 1854, there was a Charge of the Light Brigade during the
Crimean War.
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6
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Charge
for the guns!” he said.
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The
soldiers were ordered to attack
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7
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Into
the valley of Death
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The
soldiers moved to the battlefield, prepared to fight and to die fighting.The brigade was ordered into the valley, even though they
knew that they were going to die.
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8
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Rode
the six hundred.
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Emphasis
on the small number of soldiers – few but brave soldiers riding on horseback
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Line no.
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STANZA
2
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INTERPRETATION
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1
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“Forward,
the Light Brigade!”
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Again,
the captain commanded the soldiers to move forward
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2
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Was
there a man dismayed?
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Was there any soldier who would
lose his courage, be terrified or sad?
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3
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Not
though the soldier knew
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Of course the Light Brigade was too tough and loyal to feel
dismayed. These men did not feel discouraged at all. They were ready to do
their job, even though the order might be crazy (to meet their death).
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4
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Some
one had blundered.
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The soldiers knew that this charge was not a good idea, that
someone had made a mistake.
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5
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Theirs
not to make reply,
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The soldiers were loyal and obedient – they did not talk back
to their commander
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6
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Theirs
not to reason why,
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Or to figure out the point of the attack
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7
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Theirs
but to do and die.
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All they could do was to ride and fight and possibly die
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8
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Into
the valley of Death
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Repetition
of stanza 1 – to emphasize courage/bravery, loyalty, commitment, duty
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9
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Rode
the six hundred.
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Line no.
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STANZA
3
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INTERPRETATION
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1
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Cannon
to right of them,
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The soldiers were surrounded by
enemy cannon on their left, right and front. Bad news for the Light Brigade –
they were actually surrounded by enemies.
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2
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Cannon
to left of them,
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3
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Cannon
in front of them
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4
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Volleyed
and thundered;
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So the huge walls of cannon all
around them were firing and making a sound like thunder
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5
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Stormed
at with shot and shell,
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The soldiers in the Light Brigade were being shot at with bullets
and big explosives fired from the cannon - a violent, noisy, destructive
force that sounded like a storm.
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6
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Boldly
they rode and well,
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These soldiers were not scared of the gunfire. They rode
bravely, confidently and with determination. It shows us how heroic these men
were.
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7
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Into
the jaws of Death,
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They
were ready/willing to die of honour
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8
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Into
the mouth of Hell
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‘Hell’
– suffering and torture but the soldiers were brave
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9
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Rode
the six hundred.
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600
brave/courageous soldiers – men of honour
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.
