The Charge of the Light Brigade

BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

I II
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 III
Brigade! Cannon to right of them,
Was there a man Cannon to left of them,
dismayed? Cannon in front of them
Not though the soldier Volleyed and
knew thundered;
Someone had Stormed at with shot and
blundered. shell,
Theirs not to make Boldly they rode and
reply, well,
Theirs not to reason Into the jaws of Death,
why, Into the mouth of hell
Theirs but to do and Rode the six hundred.
die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

1. According to the first stanza of "The Charge of the Light Brigade", how many
army forces rode into the battle?

2. In stanza one, what does the phrase the Valley of Death refer to?

3. Why do you think the poet refers the valley as The Valley of Death?

4. Why did the soldiers ride to their death?

5. In stanza 1, what was the light brigade ordered to do?

6. What kind of weapons did the Light Brigade have?

7. What weapons did their opponents/enemies have?

8. In stanza 2, what does the word dismayed suggest?

9. Did the British soldiers feel discouraged? Why?

10. In stanza 2, what does the line Someone had blundered suggests?
11. Write the meanings of the following lines:
i. Theirs not to reply :

ii. Theirs not to reason why :

iii. Theirs but to do and die :

12. Who won the battle?

13. Give two adjectives to describe the six hundred men? Give reasons for your
selections.

14. If you were in the army and your commander told you to fight in a battle where
you would most likely die, what would you do? Why?

15. Do you believe that war is sometimes necessary? Why?

16. Is it noble to follow orders without asking questions? Why?

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

17. About which war was "The Charge of the Light Brigade" written?
The Crimean War

18. According to the first stanza of "The Charge of the Light Brigade", how many British forces rode into
the battle?
Six hundred

19. In stanza one, what does the phrase the Valley of Death refer to?
The valley where the British soldiers rode/ the battle occured.

20. Why do you think the poet refers the valley as The Valley of Death?
It is because the soldiers knew that they were going to lose in the battle and they would die.

21. Why did the soldiers ride to their death?

They had to obey their commanders order.

22. In stanza 1, what was the light brigade ordered to do?

They were ordered to move forward on a frontal assault against a well-armed Russian soldiers/ to
attack the Russian soldiers

23. What kind of weapons did the Light Brigade have?

Spears, swords and bows

24. What weapons did their opponents/enemies have?

Cannons, rifles

25. In stanza 2, what does the word dismayed suggest?

It means to lose your courage/ to be overcome by terror or sadness

26. Did the British soldiers feel discouraged? Why?

No, they did not. It was because they were carrying out their duty and if they were to die, they would
die with honour/ They had to obey the command of their leader.

27. In stanza 2, what does the line Someone had blundered suggests?
The commanding officer had made a stupid and clumsy mistake by ordering them to charge the well-
prepared Russian soldiers/ the leader had made a mistake in giving order

28. Write the meanings of the following lines:

29. Theirs not to reply : The soldiers must not talk back to their commanders.

30. Theirs not to reason why : They must follow the orders without asking why.

31. Theirs but to do and die :All they could do was to ride and fight and possibly die in the battle.

32. Who won the battle?

The Russian soldiers

33. Give two adjectives to describe the six hundred men?

Courageous/ brave/ noble/ heroic/ loyal/ patriotic/obedient

34. If you were in the army and your commander told you to fight in a battle where you would most likely
die, what would you do? Why?

35. Do you believe that war is sometimes necessary? Why?

36. Is it noble to follow orders without asking questions? Why?

FIT/SMKAM/FEB 2015