brigade of the British forces conducted a suicidal charge in the Battle of Balaclava in Ukraine. Of the 637 men in the brigade, 247 were killed. Britain, France and Turkey were fighting Russia. The title is about the courageous brigade and their doom.
The Poet
Born in August 6, 1809 , in
Somersby , Lincolnshire , England Born in 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
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward,
The soldiers were on their
horses, charging forward.
In the poem, half a league
refers to?
The unit to measure distance
- A league: about 3 miles / 2.5 km
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.
How many soldiers are there in
the Light Brigade?
600 men.
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 enemys guns.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
The six hundred soldiers rode
into battle even though they know they will end their lives.
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
Someone had blundered
None of the soldiers lost the
courage even though they knew that someone had made a mistake.
Which of the following words means
mistake?
a)Blunder b)Dismay c)Volley d)Charge
a) blunder
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
Rode the six hundred.
The six hundred soldiers rode into
battle even though they know they will end their lives.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them,
The soldiers were surrounded by
enemy cannon from all sides. Defeat was clear for the soldiers.
Volleyed and thundered;
The firing of cannons 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,
Into the mouth of hell Rode the six hundred.
The six hundred soldiers rode
into battle even though they know they will end their lives.
MORAL VALUES
Word Banks
Exercise 1
1. Who ordered the cavalry to charge?
2. How many men were there in the cavalry? 3. Were any of the cavalry dismayed at the order to charge? 4. What did the soldier know? 5. What does the poet mean by theirs but to do and die? 6. Describe the battle.