1. Pre-1914 Poetry Year 10

2. Section 1: Introductory paragraph In this commentary on “Charge Of The Light Brigade”, I ____ to ____ how Tennyson uses _______, ________ and poetic devices to paint a ______ picture in the ______ of the _______ of a _______ __________ for _____ troops at the Battle of ______ in the _______ war in 1864. Some of the theme’s explored by Tennyson such as “Theirs not to reason why,Theirs but to do & die” are still _______ today ________ as soldiers begin to _______ more and more why they are in places like ______, for example. Coursework Essay – A Commentary on “The Charge of the Light Brigade”

3. Section 2: The context of the poem When was the poem written? What is the poem about? Why do you think the poem was written? Who did he want to show as ‘heroes’? Did it reach the troops back in the Crimea?

4. Section 3: Analysing The Poem – Point, Quote, Comment The first few lines build up this image of galloping into battle, by showing the movement and sound of the charge via a strong, repetitive falling meter. “Half a league/Half a league” This opening immediately throws the reader into the centre of the action of the Battle of Balaclava. Using point, quote, comment in this way will improve your grade and show that you understand the poem!

5. Rhyme and Rhythm Poets use language and rhythm to create atmosphere. “Charge of the Light Brigade” has a ‘falling’ meter. The stress falls on the first beat of each meter and then "falls off" for the rest of the length of the meter Why do you think this is? It is appropriate in a poem about the devastating defeat and fall of the British. Where is the poem set?

6. Point, Quote, Comment The poem also makes use of repetition, in which the same word is repeated at the beginning of several consecutive lines: "Cannon to right of them / Cannon to left of them / Cannon in front of them." Here, Tennyson tries to create a sense of unrelenting assault; at each line our eyes meet the word "cannon," just as the soldiers meet their flying shells at each turn.

7. Section 3: Continued The poem does not speak of individual troops but rather of "the six hundred" and then "all that was left of them.” Tennyson tries to show that all the soldiers faced the same fate and they were all in it together.

8. Using PQC Tennyson creates vivid imagery of fear through language to show what the soldiers had to face. “The Mouth of Hell, the Jaws of Death”. By using the idea of a mouth, he gives the reader the impression the soldiers are being consumed by death.

9. Over To You You also need to have a paragraph about the line: “Theirs Not to Reason why, theirs just to and die.” What do you think about this idea? What do you think Tennyson was trying to say about soldiers in war?

10. Conclusion The poem does not glorify war but glorifies the soldiers that fought in it. There were _______ surrounding them but ________ Tennyson _______ the generals saying someone had __________ but he doesn’t say who. The poem has a ______ message _________ which is ________. Still, in 2007 stories of British soldiers _____________ are in the newspapers. Despite whether ___________ with the war, Tennyson’s message of ________________ still ______________.