1 Word cloud

Name: Date:
1 Before reading the poem look at the word cloud poster. Tick which of the following
themes you think this poem might be about.

Love Family

Death War

Relationships Envy

Greed Romance

2 Now look at the four words below from the word cloud poster. What do they tell you about
what the mood of the poem might be?

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?

thunderd flashd volleyd stormd

4 Write down any images that come to mind as you look at the word cloud poster.

5 Now read the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade on Worksheet 2. Were the
predictions that you made about the poem in questions 14 correct?

6 Some words on the word cloud poster are larger than others. For example, the word
Death is quite large, whereas the word fade is quite small. Why is this? If youre not sure,
look at how many times each of these words is repeated in the poem itself.

7 Look at the poem. Four of the first five stanzas start with repeated words and phrases.
The second stanza does not, however. What might the reader notice here that is not
mentioned anywhere else in the poem?

Pearson Education Limited 2010

 2 The Charge of the Light Brigade
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Name: Date:
1 4
Half a league, half a league, Flashd all their sabres bare,
Half a league onward, Flashd as they turnd in air
All in the valley of Death Sabring the gunners there,
Rode the six hundred. Charging an army, while
Forward, the Light Brigade! All the world wonderd:
Charge for the guns! he said: Plunged in the battery-smoke
Into the valley of Death Right thro the line they broke;
Rode the six hundred. Cossack and Russian
Reeld from the sabre stroke
2 Shatterd and sunderd.
Forward, the Light Brigade! Then they rode back, but not
Was there a man dismayd? Not the six hundred.
Not tho the soldier knew
Some one had blunderd: 5
Theirs not to make reply, Cannon to right of them,
Theirs not to reason why, Cannon to left of them,
Theirs but to do and die: Cannon behind them
Into the valley of Death Volleyd and thunderd;
Rode the six hundred. Stormd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
3 They that had fought so well
Cannon to right of them, Came thro the jaws of Death
Cannon to left of them, Back from the mouth of Hell,
Cannon in front of them All that was left of them,
Volleyd and thunderd; Left of six hundred.
Stormd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well, 6
Into the jaws of Death, When can their glory fade?
Into the mouth of Hell O the wild charge they made!
Rode the six hundred. All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made,
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

Pearson Education Limited 2010