(Grade 5-6)

Both ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ and ‘Bayonet Charge’ explore danger at war. In the opening section of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, Tennyson makes clear the soldiers are in danger by writing ‘cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them’. Tennyson’s use of these words creates powerful imagery of the soldiers charging bravely into enemy cannon fire. Tennyson’s repetition of the word ‘cannon’ emphasises the danger the soldiers are in by demonstrating that the soldiers are being fired at from all sides. Tennyson was Poet Laureate for Queen Victoria, so wanted his readers to understand how brave the British soldiers were. Also in the opening stanza of ‘Bayonet Charge’, Hughes makes the danger immediately clear by writing ‘bullets smacking the belly out of the air’. Hughes personifies the air as a person being winded by the number and force of the bullets to demonstrate how much danger the soldier is in as he charges. Hughes’s use of the word ‘smacking’ creates a sound effect, helping the reader to imagine the sound of the bullets violently beating against the air. The reader imagines how terrified the soldiers in World War One must have felt as they ran through no-man’s land with bullets flying at them from all sides. It is clear from both poems that war can be extremely dangerous.

Both poems explore duty at war. In the opening section of his poem, Tennyson demonstrates that the soldiers do not question their officers by writing ‘theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die’. Tennyson’s repetition of the words ‘theirs not to’ emphasises the fact that the soldiers do not feel they can ask their officers any questions. They know that they must do their duty and fight for their country. Tennyson’s use of the words ‘do and die’ indicate that the soldiers know that they are risking their lives, which demonstrates the strong sense of duty they feel to their queen and their country. Tennyson writes these lines in order to celebrate the duty these soldiers showed to Queen Victoria and to encourage his readers to show the same duty to their country. Similarly, in the second stanza of Bayonet Charge, Hughes makes clear the soldier feels duty bound to stay at war by comparing it to ‘cold clockwork’. Hughes’s use of these words creates powerful imagery of a large clock, which the soldier is just one small part of. Hughes could be suggesting that war is like a machine because it is inhumane and soldiers are not encouraged to feel anything for the enemy. His use of the word ‘cold’ emphasises this, suggesting there is no warmth or happiness at war. It is clear that the soldier feels that he must do his duty and fight because he is a part of this large war machine. The soldiers in both poems feel a strong sense of duty.

Both poems explore honour. In the closing lines of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, Tennyson asks his readers ‘when can their glory fade?’. Tennyon uses a rhetorical question, which has the obvious answer of ‘never!’. Tennyson asks this question in order to command his readers never to forget the glory and bravery of the six hundred soldiers. As poet laureate for Queen Victoria, Tennyson would have wanted his readers to remember the soldiers’ bravery forever. In the closing stanza of ‘Bayonet Charge’, however, Hughes does not create a feeling of glory and honour. Hughes makes clear that honour is hard to have when you’re at war by writing ‘king, honour, human dignity..dropped like luxuries’. Within these words, Hughes lists things that soldiers thought they would be fighting for when they went to war. For example, his use of the word ‘honour’ suggests that soldiers thought they would be fighting so that they could be remembered as honourable. But Hughes compares these things to ‘luxuries’, which implies that soldiers don’t have time to even think about this when they are at war. All the soldiers have time to focus on is keeping themselves alive. The soldier in this poem has to drop his ideas about king and honour as he runs out of no man’s land, desperate to try and save himself. It is clear that Hughes is questioning ideas about war being honourable. Having learned from his father about what war was like, he wanted his readers to realise how brutal and difficult war can be. Due to the different intentions the poets had when writing these poems, they present honour differently.

(Grade 8-9)

Both ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ and ‘Bayonet Charge’ explore danger at war. In the opening section of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, as the soldiers charge towards their deaths, Tennyson makes clear they are in danger by writing ‘cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them’. Tennyson’s use of these words creates powerful imagery of the soldiers charging bravely into enemy cannon fire. Tennyson’s repetition of the word ‘cannon’ emphasises the danger the soldiers are in by demonstrating that the soldiers are being fired at from all sides. As poet laureate, Tennsyon not only wished to tell the story of the battle to his Victorian readers but also aimed to ensure that the readers celebrated the bravery of the soldiers. It was therefore imperative that the danger was evident within his poem. Hughes similarly conveys the danger of war in ‘Bayonet Charge’, where we also see a soldier charging bravely towards the enemy. In the opening stanza, Hughes portrays the danger the soldier is in by writing ‘bullets smacking the belly out of the air’. Hughes personifies the air as a person being winded by the number and force of the bullets to demonstrate the danger the soldier is in, as he narrowly avoids being hit. Hughes’s use of the word ‘smacking’ mimics the sound of the bullets violently beating against the air. Hughes’s descriptions help the reader to vividly imagine the terror that soldiers in World War One must have experienced as they ran through no-man’s land with bullets flying at them from all sides. The danger is also reflected through Hughes’s combination of enjambment and dashes throughout the poem, which create stop-start motion, mirroring the terror and confusion the soldier feels as he charges. It is clear from both poems that war can be fatal.

Both poems explore duty at war. In the opening section of his poem, Tennyson demonstrates that the soldiers do not question their officers by writing ‘theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die’. Tennyson’s repetition of the words ‘theirs not to’ emphasises the soldiers’ lack of questioning as they charge towards their death; it seems they understand that they must do their duty. Tennyson’s use of the words ‘do and die’ indicate that the soldiers know that they are risking their lives, which demonstrates the strong sense of duty they feel to their queen and their country. This is further reflected through Tennyson’s use of rhyme and repetition, which create a very tightly controlled structure, perhaps mirroring the control maintained over the soldiers. As poet laureate, Tennyson was expected to write poems that aroused feelings of patriotism in his readers and celebrate the British war effort. For this reason, Tennyson does not draw attention to the mistakes made by the commander, instead celebrating the duty the soldiers show to their country. Similarly, in the second stanza of ‘Bayonet Charge’, Hughes makes clear the soldier feels duty bound to stay at war by comparing war to ‘cold clockwork’, which the soldier is just a small part of. Hughes’s use of these words creates powerful imagery of a large clock, with the hand ticking relentlessly, without feeling. Through this image, Hughes could be highlighting the inhumanity of war and the lack of emotion soldiers are expected to feel. This is particularly emphasised through his use of the word ‘cold’, which implies that there is lack of warmth and humanity in warfare. Hughes’s soldier, like many others in World War One, recognises his role in the larger war effort. His sense of duty compounds him to remain a part of the ‘clockwork’ and continue his charge towards the enemy.

Both poems explore honour. In the closing lines of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, Tennyson asks his readers ‘when can their glory fade?’. Tennyon’s use of a rhetorical question commands his readers to remember and celebrate the bravery of the six hundred soldiers. As poet laureate for the queen,Tennyson was obliged to create a celebratory feel within this poem, thus chooses these words for his final stanza, creating a lasting feeling of celebration among his readers. Tennyson’s use of rhyme and repetition throughout the poem also ensures the poem is memorable and that the story of the battle will remain in the readers’ hearts and minds for a long time. In ‘Bayonet Charge’, however, Hughes does not celebrate the honour of war. In his closing stanza, Hughes questions ideas about honour by writing that ‘king, honour, human dignity..dropped like luxuries’ as the soldier desperately tries to rush to safety. Hughes’s list indicates the many things soldiers thought they would be fighting for when they were encouraged to sign up, and when they first boldly left to join the war effort. For example, his use of the word ‘honour’ implies that soldiers thought they’d spend much of their time being celebrated for their bravery. But Hughes compares these things to ‘luxuries’, which implies that soldiers are unable to consider these noble ambitions while they are fighting at war. It is simply a fight for survival. The soldier in this poem must drop his previous ideas about king and honour as he runs out of no man’s land, desperately trying to save himself. Having learned from his father about what war was like, Hughes aims to expose the brutal reality of warfare to his readers, in contrast to the celebratory feel created in the final stanza of The Charge of the Light Brigade.