![]() ![]() The speaker asks if any of the soldiers were "dismayed." In this case, to be dismayed means to lose your courage, to be overcome by terror or sadness. Again, we don't know who's giving the orders here, but this disembodied voice might make us pause and think about why these brave men are being sent into "the valley of Death." Line 10 Was there a man dismayed? Now we're trying to get a peek into the heads of these soldiers, trying to imagine how it must feel to charge toward death. The speaker really wants us to focus on those words, on the command to move forward. Line 9 "Forward, the Light Brigade!" The order is repeated. Stanza 2 Summary Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-byline. The brigade has been ordered into the valley, and they're riding in, even though they know that guns and "Death" are waiting for them. ![]() The speaker ends the first section of the poem with a little refrain, a kind of recap of what we've learned so far (in lines 3-4). Line 7-8 Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Who is this guy shouting out such a crazy order? We're not quite sure, and we think Tennyson left him invisible on purpose, to keep us focused on the amazing, tough guys in the Light Brigade. Most folks would probably rather charge away from the guns. That sounds dangerous, right? Especially if you're on a horse. We think "charge for the guns" would probably be the last thing you'd want to hear. In 1854, there was a Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. Also, Tennyson's poem is based on real events. Make sense? We just didn't want you to think they were actually glowing or anything. Finally, they are called "Light" to separate them from the "Heavy Brigade," another kind of cavalry unit at the time. They are "cavalry" soldiers, meaning they are riding on horseback. ![]() Who are these guys? Well, they are a group of soldiers – a "brigade" is a way of dividing up an army. We don't know who this fellow is, but he introduces the heroes of this poem, the fearless men of the Light Brigade. Line 5 "Forward, the Light Brigade! Now someone speaks, shouting out a military order to move forward. We mean, would you want to take your bicycle out for a spin in the valley of Death? We'll get more details soon, but things are already taking shape. Now we learn that there are six hundred people, and that they are riding, probably on horseback. We already know that someone is covering a certain distance in a scary place. ![]() Notice that he isn't being too specific. Tennyson is slowly introducing us to the setting and the action of the poem. We're pretty sure Tennyson and his readers would also have been thinking of the famous line in Psalm 23: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." Line 4 Rode the six hundred. Nope, it turns out we're traveling in "the valley of Death." Scary, huh? We don't know exactly what that means at this point, but it's sure meant to make us feel a little scared and uncertain. That mood will be really important later in the poem Line 3 All in the valley of Death Now this isn't half a league on a sunny day in the park. Maybe even a bit like a military march: Left! Left! Left, right, left! We also think these opening lines make the speaker of the poem sound exhausted, like he is at the end of a race, just trying to force himself through the last few laps. Second of all, why start a poem like this? Well, we think it sets up a nice rhythm, a kind of rolling, hypnotic sound. So half a league is roughly a mile and a half. First of all, what does that mean? Well, a league is an old way to measure distance, and it was equal to about 3 miles. Lines 1-2 Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, This poem starts with the same three words, "Half a league" repeated three times. Stanza 1 Summary Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-byline. ![]()
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