“Into the valley of death”
This is an emotive line, as all the men later died in the battle.
In the second stanza, The order to keep marching forward was given, this is again showed by an exclamation mark.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
“Was there a man dismay’d?”
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:”
This means the men knew what they were doing was a mistake but nobody complained.
“Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:”
The soldiers did not question what they had to do because it was their duty to follow the orders, even though they knew it was a mistake and they would die.
Repetition is used again.
“Into the valley of death”
It is used again to show they are going to their final battle.
“Rode the six hundred”
This is repeated from stanza 1 to convey the vast number of men who died in the battle.
In the third stanza, the soldiers are being fired at from all directions.
“Cannon to right of them
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them”
Alliteration is used
“Storm’d at with shot and shell”
This shows that they were bombarded by several types of ammunition, guns and cannon fire.
But still they carried on, despite the fire.
“Boldly they rode and well”
“Into the jaws of death,
Into the mouth of hell”
It continues from the line before, saying they were riding to their death, this is also very emotive, Mouth of hell being the feeling of being in hell, with the fire and gun smoke. It is also very emotive, because of the strong words used in that section.
In the fourth stanza, They reach some of the gunners, and they begin fighting.
“Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air,
Sabring the gunners there,”
Rhyming is used in this part.
“All the world wonder’d”
This says that people didn’t know what was happening.
More rhyming is used.
“Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre-stroke”
They have made it through some of the enemy lines and attack with their swords, fighting for their lives.
“Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.”
This means that many of the six hundred have been killed in the battle.
In the fifth stanza, they begin to retreat, while still being bombarded by gunfire.
“Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them”
You know they are retreating because it was “Cannon in front of them” in stanza 3. now it is behind. It is also repetition taken from stanza 3.
“Volley’d and thunder’d;
Stormed at with shot and shell,”
This is also repeated from stanza 3, to show they are still being bombed and shot at.
“While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well”
It is saying that the soldiers and horses had been brave and fought a brave battle. That saw their demise. It is also rhyming.
“Came thro’ the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.”
In stanza 3, they were entering the “Jaws of death” and “the mouth of hell.” And in this stanza, they are coming back out. But very few of the six hundred survived.
In stanza 6, the writer is honouring the light brigade, who were brave to for dying and should be honoured.
“Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!”
Rhyming was used also in that section.
The writer wanted the reader to feel that the soldiers had no choice about going into battle, and that they were brave in fighting for their lives, knowing, they would probably not return. I feel that they were right at the time, in thinking they were doing the right thing, as they were just following orders and were fighting for their country, but many lives were lost because of the wrong information being given to them. This poem shows that Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wanted people to know the horrific reality of war and what it does to innocent lives. But they will go to any lengths to serve their country.
