The Charge of the Light Brigade - Poem language techniques

The Charge of the Light Brigade

In English, we have been learning about the use of language techniques. Our task is to choose a poem and pick out techniques within the piece of writing. I have chosen the text titled The Charge of the Light Brigade. Throughout the text, I have found three techniques effectively used in the poem. 

The line "half a league, half a league, half a league onward" in section I was an example of repetition. This technique was used at the start of the text and was found throughout the poem. The purpose of the technique is to make the phrase more memorable.

The next technique was found in section II. The technique hyperbole was seen in the line "Came through the jaws of Death". The use of the line "jaws of Death" was effective because it gives the reader emotion and understanding of the text.

The technique Emotive language was shown in section V in the line "Volleyed and thundered". The use of the technique was effective as it captured an emotional response. 

The whole text was written in third person using past tense narration. This can be proven with the keywords 'rode', 'their', 'they', 'them', 'had', and a few other words that were used within the text.

Link to the site I got the poem from

The Charge of the Light Brigade

BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

I

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!” he said.

Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

II

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

   Someone had blundered.

   Theirs not to make reply,

   Theirs not to reason why,

   Theirs but to do and die.

   Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

III

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

   Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

   Rode the six hundred.

IV

Flashed all their sabres bare,

Flashed as they turned in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

   All the world wondered.

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right through the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reeled from the sabre stroke

   Shattered and sundered.

Then they rode back, but not

   Not the six hundred.

V

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

   Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell.

They that had fought so well

Came through the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

   Left of six hundred.

VI

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

   All the world wondered.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade,

   Noble six hundred!