THE LIVING PHOTOGRPH BY JACKIE KAY

The Living Photograph Vocabulary booster

broderie anglaise decoration with sewing on
fine white cloth
My small grandmother is tall there, pleated having a narrow fold in a
Straight back, white, broderie anglaise shirt, piece of cloth made by
Pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun, sewing two parts of the cloth
together
a kind, old smile round her eyes.
bun long hair that has been
Her big hand holds mine, brought into a round shape
white hand in the black hand. and is worn at the back of
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye. the head
hunched to sit or stand with one’s
back and shoulders curved
It was true, after all, that look. forwards
My tall grandmother became small. unknown not known or identified or
Her back round and hunched. familiar
unthinkable impossible to imagine
Her soup forgot to boil. crinkled covered with a lot of thin
She went to the awful place grandmothers go. lines and folds
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable

But there she is still,

In the photo with me at three,
The crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

1
ABOUT THE POET

As you can see there, the poet's name is Jackie Kay. She was
born on November 9 1961 in Edinburgh, Scotland to a Scottish
mother and a Nigerian father. Her parents gave her away for
adoption to white Scottish parents (John and Helen Kay) who
brought her up in Glasgow with great affection. The
grandmother in the poem above was her adoptive grandmother
who also loved her as much as her biological parents. Thus,
from an early age, Jackie Kay was often baffled by her ethnic
identity as she looked "coloured" compared to her adoptive
"white" grandmother and adoptive parents. This poem, like
many others by Jackie Kay, reflects her generally happy,
childhood, as well as her concerns about her true 'biracial'
ethnic identity.

2
SYNOPSIS

The poem is about the persona’s grandmother, who lives in her

granddaughter’s heart and memory through her photograph. In it, she is
still tall, standing straight, wearing a white blouse having English
embroidery (a white-work needle-work technique incorporating features
of embroidery, cutwork and needle lace), pleated skirt and flat shoes.
Her grey hair is tied into a bun. Her eyes look kind and smiling, and one
of her big hands held the persona’s dark one.

As time passed, her grandmother shrank in size, becoming hunched,

and forgetting mundane things like boiling the soup. Soon, she became
absent-minded, unfocused and senile, living in her own world.

But in the photo when the pet was three, she is still alive and breathing,
as active as she had been in her younger days.

3
UNDERSTANDING THE POEM
LITERAL MEANING
STANZA 1
The persona described her
grandmother as tall and well-dressed
with a kind smile. Her smile comes
from her eyes. On her deathbed, she
held the persona’s small black hand in
her big white hand. She was not
afraid to leave the world.
STANZA 2
The persona accepts that her
grandmother has passed on to the
other world, as all grandmothers do.
Grandmother, who was of a tall
stature became small, hunched and
forgetful.
STANZA 3
The persona at the age of three had
taken a photograph with her
grandmother. When she looks at the
photograph, she feels her
grandmother’s presence. To the
persona, her grandmother is still very
much alive and smiling at her.
4
FIGURATIVE
MEANING
Stanza 1
As we start off our lives, we stand tall
and confident. We make sure
everything is carried out properly
without a flaw. We approach every
situation with a smile even as we
offer encouragement to others and
receive support in return. When face
with an inevitable situation, we face
the inevitability bravely.
Stanza 2
We can feel the onset of the
inevitable as we look around and
notice the signs of changes. We
begin to lose our grip as things
change beyond our control. We may
even forget to do certain things. But,
finally, the situation is out of our
hands and we have to let go.
Stanza 3
But sometimes there may be a
memento to remind us of what
we used to be. The memento
helps to keep our memories
alive.
THEMES

LOVE, RESPECT, AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

The persona loves and respects her grandmother and
remembers all her good qualities, - her kindness, her smiles
and the fact that she had not discriminated her for being
black. She also values her relationship with her family,
especially her grandmother who did not discriminate her for
being "black".

DEATH
Death is not a terrifying experience. her grandmother is
not afraid of dying as 'her sharp blue eyes look her own
death in the eye". It is as if she understands that she is
old but is unafraid and defys death. the phototgraph
mush have been taken just before she became senile
and closer to death.

OLD AGE
The poet describes old age as the stage when one
becomes smaller in size, stooped with a round back, and
forgetful. Often, senility is accompanied by dementia,
where one does not know what is happening. In her
grandmother's case, she lived in an imaginary world of
her own.

DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM

A tinge of racism seeps through in "white hand in blank hand". Kay's father
was black and mother, white. Adopted by Scottish parents wo had taken
their children on anti-apartheid protests and peace rallies, she must have
been subjected to ridicule and discrimination in her childhood, thus the
comment on colour differences. here, she must have loved her grandmother
for not discriminating her.

5
MORAL VALUES

We should love
and appreciate
close family
members while
they are still Keeping a memento like
alive. a photograph helps to
keep memories alive.

We must strive
for close family
relationship
with our
grandparents
and parents. We must learn
We must not
to let go of the dwell on the
dead. past too
much.

PERSONA

The persona is the poet herself. Of mixed parentage, she had been
adopted by a white Scottish couple, thus the reference to “black hand”.

SETTING

The setting is her grandmother’s or parents’ house, where the

photograph is kept.

TONE AND MOOD

The poem is reflective and thoughtful, sometimes bitter, reminiscing

about her childhood and her relationship with her grandmother. She
misses her and keeps her memory alive by looking at the photo.

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TASK 1: WARM-UP QUESTIONS

INSTRUCTION: LOOK AT THE PICTURE AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What do you think of the poem?

___________________________________________________________________

2. How many characters are there in the poem?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Is this a sad or a happy poem?

___________________________________________________________________

4. What does the word ‘living’ in the title of the poem mean?
___________________________________________________________________

5. Where do you think this photograph is placed?

___________________________________________________________________

6. How old do you think the persona is now?

___________________________________________________________________

7. Where do you think the poet’s grandmother is now?

___________________________________________________________________

7
TASK 2

INSTRUCTION: ANSWER ALL THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What feature of the grandmother is repeated in the poem?

a) Hand
b) Smile
c) Blouse
d) Photograph

2. Where did the grandmother go?

a) A Vacation
b) Hospital
c) Passed Away
d) Photo Studio

3. Which word in the poem denotes the same meaning as the word ‘unimaginable’?
a) Unthinkable
b) Believable
c) Convincing
d) Probable

4. Which word means ‘a bent back’?

a) Straighten
b) Uncurl
c) Hunched
d) Unbend

5. Why is the grandmother’s hand darker than her granddaughter’s?

a) She worked hard.
b) Sunburned
c) Pigmentation
d) Discoloration

8
TASK 3

INSTRUCTION: READ THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AND STATE WHETHER THEY ARE
“TRUE” OR “FALSE”.

Statement True/ false

1. The persona’s grandmother is still living with her. __________

2. The grandmother remains strong and healthy until her
death.
3. The grandmother seems to be a friendly and kind __________
woman.
4. The persona was three years old when her __________
grandmother died.
5. The persona recollects the memories of her __________
grandmother as she looks at the photograph.
__________

TASK 4

INSTRUCTION: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON YOUR

UNDERSTANDING OF THE POEM.

1. Why do you think the grandmother forgot to boil the soup?

___________________________________________________________________
2. What is the main theme of the poem?

___________________________________________________________________
3. What are the things you admire about your grandmother?

___________________________________________________________________
4. How would you show your appreciation towards your grandmother?

___________________________________________________________________
5. Name one best moment or memory you share with your grandmother.

___________________________________________________________________
9
TASK 5

INSTRUCTION: FILL IN THE BLANKS TO COMPLETE A SYNOPSIS OF THE POEM.

THE LIVING
PHOTOGRAPH
By Jackie Kay

The persona talks about grandmother as ‘The

Living Photograph’. A photograph of her at the
age of (1) _________________ with her
grandmother makes her feel that grandmother is
(2) _________________ there for her.
Grandmother when young was tall and
(3)_________________ She was dressed very
neatly in a white shirt and
(4)_________________ skirt. She was not afraid
of dying. The persona sat by her bedside and
held hand as her grandmother drew her last
breath and went to the awful, (5)
_________________ and
(6)_________________ place. The persona
recalls that her grandmother become
(7)_________________ as she grew older. Her
back become round and (8)_________________
But, to the persona, her grandmother is still much
alive as she looks at the photograph of herself
and her grandmother

10
TASK 6
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW.

1. Who wrote the poem?

___________________________________________________________________

2. To whom do you think the title of the poem relates to?

___________________________________________________________________

3. What happened to her grandmother’s physical appearance as she aged?

___________________________________________________________________

4. How does the persona describe the other world? How does this reflect the persona’s
perception of life after death?
___________________________________________________________________

5. Describe the clothes the grandmother wears in the photograph.

___________________________________________________________________

6. Describe the grandmother when she was old.

___________________________________________________________________

7. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?
___________________________________________________________________

8. What feature of the grandmother is repeated in the poem?

___________________________________________________________________

9. Where did the grandmother go?

___________________________________________________________________

10. Whose hands are darker, the grandmother’s or the grandchild’s?

___________________________________________________________________

11
TASK 7
INSTRUCTION: FIND THE WORDS IN THE MAZE. THOSE WORDS CAN BE FOUND IN THE
POEM FIND TEN WORDS FROM THE POEM IN THE MAZE BELOW.

P H O T O S R E G F
A E B I T H F S A L
S K I R H I E D B A
L I G O T R S E C T
K E H B H T M F Y S
B L A C K H A N D H
E H N D S L L A N O
P O D I U Y L R U E
A W F U L E R G O S
N U B Y E R G A R D

1. ___________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________

7. ___________________________________________

8. ___________________________________________

9. ___________________________________________

10. ___________________________________________

12
TASK 8
INSTRUCTION: FILL IN THE MORAL VALUES LEARNT FROM THE POEM

MORAL
VALUES

13
 TASK 9

INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE BRIDGE MAP WITH THE OPPOSITES OF THE WORDS
GIVEN.

WORD small straight tall living

___________ ______________ as _______________ as ______________ as ______________

ANTONYM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TASK 10

INSTRUCTION: MATCH THE LINES TO THE POETIC DEVICES APPROPRIATELY

Phrases /Lines Poetic Devices

1. ‘tall there’ Symbol

2. ‘white hand in black hand’ Metaphor

3. ‘crinkled smile’ Alliteration

4. ‘still living’ Imagery

5. ‘soup forgot to boil’ Contrast

6. ‘photo’ Personification

7. ‘her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the Assonance
eye’
8. ‘straight-back, white broderieanglaise shirt,
pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun Diction
14
TASK 11

INSTRUCTION: BASED ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POEM, LIST SIX

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GRANDMOTHER.

TASK 12

INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE WORD

SEARCH ACTIVITY
BELOW.

15
 What We Offer Who We Ar

WORD SEARCH
SEARCH ME!
U N I M A G I N A B L E E B M W X R D L
U N B W K V S D W H K U N H G J C E K R
B L R C F S A C F J B O F W F I T O T H
H T G E S P D J U W Q T Q T Y A E H X V
Q M R O C N B S L M W S R E E L M E G N
K D S Q D O C F W I H Z E L I G A R F A
Q G P Q N N G H K Z V H P V T A R S Z J
A H W C C T Q N K K F I J S W R S O O X
J R F U G M N T I D V L G S W G H N F Z
Q I L O F V I B N S Y D Y H U P B D G N
S F T S E L U F D A E R D D N G M Q Z E
V H H U U H Q W E L N D F R Q X Z Q Z A
E V R V Q C D V K R A Z I E W A C P N N
F R I C Y H K N L H E Y N O M D V Z C U
J A O B C O I X F K Q B Z J Z K B K L I
O F B C L R I V V T V B I H U C X Q S M
B D E H C N U H E E G Z G O C H U Z K G
U P N T Y T U H B N J B N D X Q Q K L B
L A T P V I S R O U W Z I L H V T N D F
C J H D Q F T B G I M P M J M M M W Y R
CRINKLED
BENT
AWFUL AWFUL
BENT UNIMAGINABLE
CRINKLED FRAGILE
DREADFUL DREADFUL
FORGETFUL HUNCHED
FRAGILE FORGETFUL
HUNCHED
PLEATED
PLEATED
UNRECOGNISED
UNIMAGINABLE
TASK 13
UNRECOGNISED

ht t p :/ / p uzzlem aker.d isc ov…/ c od e/ B uild Wo rd Searc h.asp Pag

16
INSTRUCTION: IN GROUPS, TRANSLATE THE POEM TO BAHASA MELAYU BASED ON
YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

The Living Photograph

My small grandmother is tall there,

Straight back, white, broderie anglaise shirt,
Pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun
a kind, old smile round her eyes.
Her big hand holds mine,
white hand in the black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.

It was true, after all, that look.

My tall grandmother became small.
Her back round and hunched.
Her soup forgot to boil.
She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable

But there she is still,

In the photo with me at three,
The crinkled smile is still living, breathing.
Jackie Kay

TASK 14
INSTRUCTION: UNSCRAMBLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS.
17
REHTOMGRNAD

EERIDBRO

AIRTSTHG-ACKB

EILSM

INKTNUHEALB

ELKINDCR

18
 Poem

The Charge of the Light Brigade by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

TASK 1: PRE-READING ACTIVITY-PREDICTION

INSTRUCTION: BEFORE YOU READ THE POEM. LOOK AT THE COVER OF THE POEM AND
ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS BELOW.
19
1. Look at the cover of the poem. Which of the following themes you think this poem might be about?
Tick your answer.

love

death

relationship

greed

family

war

envy

romance

2. What is the mood of the poem?

noble hero charging boldly

3. Now look at these particular words. What do they tell you about the pace of the action in the
poem?

thunder’d flash’d volley’d storm’d

4. Write down any images that come to mind as you look at the cover of the poem.

Now read the poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ on Worksheet 2. Were the predictions that you
made about the poem in questions 1–4 correct?

POEM
The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

20
 1
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Word Meaning
Rode the six hundred.
League An old way to
"Forward, the Light Brigade! measure distance. A
"Charge for the guns!" he said: league equals to 3
Into the valley of Death miles
Brigade A large group of
Rode the six hundred. soldiers that forms a
2 unit of an army
"Forward, the Light Brigade!" Charge Attack
Dismayed Worried or scared
Was there a man dismayed?
Blundered Made a careless
Not tho' the soldier knew mistake
Someone had blundered: Reason To find an
Theirs not to make reply, explanation
Cannon A large gun on
Theirs not to reason why,
wheels
Theirs but to do and die: Volleyed Fired by a lot of
bullets
Into the valley of Death
Thundered A very loud noise
Rode the six hundred. Boldly Bravely
3 Shell A metal case that is
filled with explosives
Cannon to right of them,
and fired from a
Cannon to left of them, large gun
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

ABOUT THE POET

21
  Stanza 1
Born on August 6, 1809 , in Somersby , Lincolnshire , England
 Born into 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

Charge of the Light Brigade

Battle

The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British light cavalry led
by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on
25 October 1854 in the Crimean War.

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

22
 Stanza 2
Poem Literal meaning
Half a league, half a league, The soldiers were on their horses, charging
Half a league onward, forward
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
“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 The six hundred soldiers rode into battle even
Rode the six hundred. though they know they will end their lives.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

 The six hundred in the light brigade rode forward by short distances. The commander
ordered the Light Brigade to charge for the enemy’s guns. The six hundred rode into certain
death.

 It reflects to a Psalm that is often read at funerals. The six hundred rode forward even though
there is no guarantee that they will come out alive.

Jot down notes

23
 Poem Stanza 3 Literal meaning

“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 None of the soldiers lost their courage even
though they knew that someone had made a
Someone had blundered mistake.
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 The six hundred soldiers rode into battle even
though they know they will end their lives.
Rode the six hundred.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

 The Brigade is ordered to charge forward. Even though the soldiers knew that someone
had blundered, they were not dismayed at the order to charge.

 As soldiers, they are trained to follow orders without talking back or asking for a reason.
The six hundred rode into certain death.

Jot down notes

24
 Poem Literal meaning
“Cannon to right of them, The soldiers were surrounded by enemy cannon
Cannon to left of them, from all sides. Defeat was clear for the soldiers.
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered; The firing of cannon 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, The six hundred soldiers rode into battle even
Into the mouth of hell though they know they will end their lives.
Rode the six hundred.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

 The Brigade was surrounded by enemy fire from right, left and front. Attacks with cannon-fire
and bullets came with deafening sounds. Yet, without being deterred , the six hundred rode
knowing that they would die
 The scenario of war and certain death seemed equal to hell for all the six hundred.
 The battlefield becomes the personification of death and hell.

Jot down notes

25
 THEMES
Courage and heroism
• The poem honours the
bravery and heroism of the
Light Brigade
Loyalty and Duty
• The soldiers obediently
follow the commander's
order without question.

Patriotism The complexities of war

• The soldiers fight bravely
despite knowing the futility of
the situation. Their loyalty
never end.
• The poem not only highlights
the violence and tragedy of
war but also celebrates the
courage and loyalty of the
soldiers

MORAL
VALUES

We must have We must instil

loyalty and the spirit of
courage patriotism

As a soldier, it is
important to be Sometimes, it is
disciplined, good to ask
brave and questions
unquestioning

TASK 2: WARM-UP QUESTIONS

26
INSTRUCTION: LOOK AT THE PICTURE AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What is the “Light Brigade”?

______________________________________________________________________

2. When was this poem written?

______________________________________________________________________

3. What do you think is happening in the picture?

______________________________________________________________________

4. Who are the people in the picture?

______________________________________________________________________

5. What weapon is used in the picture?

______________________________________________________________________

6. When do you think this war happened?

______________________________________________________________________

7. How do you feel when you see this picture?

______________________________________________________________________

27
 8. Where can we see this scene?

______________________________________________________________________

9. What qualities do we need to be a good soldier?

______________________________________________________________________

10. In your opinion, is war good or bad? Why?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

TASK 3

28
INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE WORD SEARCH BELOW.

TASK 4

29
 INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE BELOW WITH WORDS FROM THE POEM.

Across
2. The firing or discharge of a weapon, such as a gun.
5. A large mounted weapon that fires heavy projectiles.
Cannon include guns, howitzers, and mortars.
6. A mistake typically caused by ignorance or
carelessness.
Down
1. A simultaneous discharge of a number of bullets or
other projectiles.
3. A formation of fighting units, together with support arms
and services, smaller than a division and usually
commanded by a brigadier.

7. The act of dying; termination of life. 4. The crashing or booming sound.

9. To lose enthusiasm or resolution; disillusion or 8. The cardinal number that is the product of ten and ten.
discourage. 10. An artillery projectile containing an explosive charge.
11. One who serves in an army. 13. A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8
12. An elongated lowland between ranges of mountains, kilometers).
hills, or other uplands, often having a river or stream 14. A dangerous situation or confrontation.
running along the bottom.
15. To instruct or urge authoritatively; command.

TASK 5

30
INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE BUBBLE MAP BELOW WITH SUITABLE ADJECTIVES TO
DESCRIBE THE SOLDIERS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

THE
LIGHT
BRIGADE

CAN YOU
DESCRIBE THE
LIGHT
BRIGADE?

TASK 6

31
INSTRUCTION: MATCH EACH LITERARY DEVICE WITH THE CORRECT LINES/PHRASES FROM THE
POEM.

alliteration personification imagery repetition rhyme

Literary devices Lines/phrases

1. Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the left of them,
Cannon in front of them
2. Into the valley of Death
3. Stormed at with shot and shell
4. Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
5. Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell

TASK 7
INSTRUCTION: ANSWER TRUE OR FALSE FOR EACH OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN

STATEMENT TRUE/ FALSE

1. The poem is about war
2. The commander orders the Light Brigade to
attack the enemy
3. Some of the soldiers are very afraid
4. The soldiers fight a fierce battle
5. The Light Brigade returns home in triumph

TASK 8
32
INSTRUCTION: BASED ON THE POEM, CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER.

1. In the poem, half a league refers to

a) The number of the soldier
b) The attack of the enemy
c) The unit to measure distance
d) The soldier who ride on horses

2. How many soldiers are there in the Light Brigade?

a) 300
b) 400
c) 500
d) 600

3. Which of the following words means ‘mistake’?

a) Blunder
b) Dismay
c) Volley
d) charge

4. What happens to the soldiers in the end?

a) They are awarded for their bravery
b) They are captured by the enemy
c) They die in the line of duty
d) They return home safely.

TASK 9

33
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE CAREFULLY AND
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

Stanza 1

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.

1. What does 'half a league' refer to?

________________________________________________________________________

2. How many men were there in the cavalry?

________________________________________________________________________

3. Who were the six hundred men and what were they doing?
________________________________________________________________________

4. Why the location of this battle was called ‘the valley of death’?
________________________________________________________________________

5. Who does the pronoun 'he' in line 6 refer to?

________________________________________________________________________

6. Who ordered the cavalry to charge?

________________________________________________________________________

34
 7. What was the Light Brigade ordered to do?
________________________________________________________________________

8. Which line in the poem indicates that the soldiers are marching towards their death?
________________________________________________________________________

9. Explain what stanza 1 is mainly about.

________________________________________________________________________

Stanza 2

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"

Was there a man dismayed?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blundered:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

10. What does the word 'dismayed' mean?

________________________________________________________________________

11. Were any of the cavalry dismayed at the order to charge?

________________________________________________________________________

12. Who is the ‘someone’ mentioned in line 12?

________________________________________________________________________

13. What does 'blundered' mean?

________________________________________________________________________

14. What is the ‘blunder’ that someone made?

35
 ________________________________________________________________________

15. In lines 13-15, the word 'theirs' refer to whom?

________________________________________________________________________

16. What is the meaning of line 13 - 15?

________________________________________________________________________

17. Explain what 'not to make reply' means in line 13.

________________________________________________________________________

18. What does the poet mean by Theirs but to do and die?
________________________________________________________________________

19. Explain what stanza 2 is mainly about.

________________________________________________________________________

Stanza 3

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

20. What literary device is employed in lines 18 to 20?

________________________________________________________________________

21. Identify two examples of personification.

________________________________________________________________________

36
 22. Why do you think the poet chose the words ‘volleyed’ and ‘thundered’ to describe
the situation during war?
________________________________________________________________________

23. In your own words, describe the battle.

________________________________________________________________________

TASK 10
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE CAREFULLY AND
DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

1. Do you think this poem glorifies war? Does it criticize it? How can you tell?

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 2. Do you believe that war is sometimes necessary? Do you think your feelings about that
issue change the way you read this poem?

3. Do you think someone could write a poem like this today? How do we celebrate the
courage of soldiers in the modern world?

4. Is it noble to follow orders without asking questions? Did the poem make you see the issue
differently?

5. Does sacrificing their lives for their country make these brave soldiers more admirable?
How?

TASK 11

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INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE AND COMPLETE
THE FOLLOWING CHART IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF THE POEM.

CHARACTERS – who are the

characters in this story? Describe
the major players in this event?

SETTING – where and when

does this story take place?

CONFLICT – what is the major

problem in the story?

RISING ACTION – what events

take place leading up to the
turning point in the story?

CLIMAX – what event would be

considered the turning?point or
peak of the action?

FALLING ACTION – what events

follow the climax?

RESOLUTION – is the problem in

the story resolved? If so how?

THEME – what lesson or

message does this story teach?

Now that you have completed the chart, write a 3-5 sentence summary for the poem.

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