The document is a PowerPoint presentation about Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Charge of the Light Brigade". It provides learning objectives around analyzing attitudes towards war in poetry and poetic techniques. It then guides analysis of the poem through questions about interpreting lines, rhyme, sound effects, repetition, personification and other techniques. Students are prompted to closely read the poem and annotate it to gain insights.

1. Charge of the Light Brigade
GCSE Poetry Conflict
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2. Learning Objectives
We are learning to...
• Analyse attitudes towards war in poetry
• Revise poetic techniques
• Analyse how these techniques create
meaning
Skills for Life – Reflection and Initiative
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3. Attitudes to war
• Listen again to Charge of the Light
Brigade
• As you listen, list ten words or phrases
that describe Tennyson’s attitude to the
Light Brigade (not yours!)
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4. Interpreting the text
• Explain how the three lines below could be
used to justify firstly a positive view of
soldiers and war, or secondly, a negative
view:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
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5. Success Criteria
Skilled work will:
• Demonstrate insight into these lines
and understanding of how they can
be interpreted in alternative ways
Excellent work will:
Demonstrate an originality of interpretation
Begin to analyse word patterns and poetic
techniques as a precise way in to this
interpretative task
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6. Time for rhyme
• Why do poets use rhyme?
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7. Time for rhyme
• Why do poets use rhyme?
• To emphasise certain words
• To link together sequences of words
• Task: highlight all the words that rhyme,
such as, ‘bare’, ‘air’ and ‘there’ (some of
these words are repeated).
• How are the rhyming words connected?
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8. Links between rhymes
• How do these links contribute to meaning?
• For example, 'shatter'd', 'sunder'd',
'volley'd' and 'thunder'd' can all be
connected by the concepts of loud noise
and destruction, and suggest the volume
of the battle.
• With a partner, search for another set of
linked rhyming words.
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9. Sound Effects
• Say the word 'cannon' several times out
loud
• What do you notice about its syllabic and
onomatopoeic qualities?
• Annotate your poem with further examples
of onomatopoeia, sibilance, alliteration,
consonance (repetition of consonants, not
at the beginning of words)
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10. Repetition
• Highlight repeated words or phrases
• Why do you think words or phrases are
repeated?
• Where do repeated phrases change?
• Why do they change?
• Look at lines 37 and 38. Why is the word
‘not’ repeated?
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11. Patterns of three
• ‘pattern of three’, a technique often used
in persuasive texts is where a word or
phrase is repeated three times.
• Identify where the pattern of three is used
in this poem.
• Consider why you think it has been used.
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12. Personification
• Three striking images are repeated in
the poem:
• ‘the valley of Death’
• ‘the jaws of Death’
• ‘the mouth of Hell’
• TASK: Choose one of these images
and either draw it or write a short
paragraph describing it in more detail
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13. Personification
• ‘the valley of Death’
• ‘the jaws of Death’
• ‘the mouth of Hell’
• Why do you think Tennyson has
used this technique?
• Do you think these images are
effective?
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14. Questions on the text
• Direct speech is when the actual words people say are used. Identify when
direct speech is used. Who do you think is saying these words? What is the
effect of using direct speech?
• Which people are named in the poem?
• Why do you think Tennyson has chosen not to give individuals’ names?
• Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Identify the alliteration in line 44. What is the effect of the alliteration in this line?
Where else is alliteration used in the poem? What effect does it have?
• In line 51, what type of charge is it? What word would you have used?
• Two (rhetorical) questions are asked. Underline the two questions. Who is
asking the questions and why?
Extension question
• The poem could be said to show a balance between the bravery and nobleness
of the soldiers and the horror of war. Find words that indicate this balance.
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