THE LIVING PHOTOGRPH BY JACKIE KAY

The Living Photograph

My small grandmother is tall there,
Straight back, white, broderie anglaise shirt,
Pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
a kind, old smile round her eyes.
Her big hand holds mine,
white hand in the black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.
It was true, after all, that look.
My tall grandmother became small.
Her back round and hunched.
Her soup forgot to boil.
She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable
But there she is still,
In the photo with me at three,
The crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

Vocabulary booster
broderie anglaise decoration with sewing on
fine white cloth
pleated
having a narrow fold in a
piece of cloth made by
sewing two parts of the cloth
together
bun
long hair that has been
brought into a round shape
and is worn at the back of
the head
hunched
to sit or stand with ones
back and shoulders curved
forwards
unknown
not known or identified or
familiar
unthinkable
impossible to imagine
crinkled
covered with a lot of thin
lines and folds

ABOUT THE POET

As you can see there, the poet's name is Jackie Kay. She
was born on November 9 1961 in Edinburgh, Scotland to a
Scottish mother and a Nigerian father. Her parents gave her
away for adoption to white Scottish parents (John and Helen
Kay) who brought her up in Glasgow with great affection. The
grandmother

in

the

poem

above

was

her

adoptive

grandmother who also loved her as much as her biological

parents. Thus, from an early age, Jackie Kay was often
baffled by her ethnic identity as she looked "coloured"
compared to her adoptive "white" grandmother and adoptive
parents. This poem, like many others by Jackie Kay, reflects
her generally happy, childhood, as well as her concerns about
her true 'biracial' ethnic identity.

SYNOPSIS

The poem is about the personas grandmother, who lives in her

granddaughters heart and memory through her photograph. In it, she
is still tall, standing straight, wearing a white blouse having English
embroidery (a white-work needle-work technique incorporating
features of embroidery, cutwork and needle lace), pleated skirt and flat
shoes. Her grey hair is tied into a bun. Her eyes look kind and smiling,
and one of her big hands held the personas dark one.
As time passed, her grandmother shrank in size, becoming hunched,
and forgetting mundane things like boiling the soup. Soon, she became
absent-minded, unfocused and senile, living in her own world.
But in the photo when the pet was three, she is still alive and
breathing, as active as she had been in her younger days.

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

FIGURATIVE
MEANING

Stanza 1
As we start off our lives, we stand tall
and confident. We make sure
everything is carried out properly
without a flaw. We approach every
situation with a smile even as we offer
encouragement to others and receive
support in return. When face with an
inevitable situation, we face the
inevitability bravely.

LITERAL MEANING

STANZA 1
The persona described her
grandmother as tall and well-dressed
with a kind smile. Her smile comes
from her eyes. On her deathbed, she
held the personas small black hand in
her big white hand. She was not
afraid to leave the world.

Stanza 2
We can feel the onset of the
inevitable as we look around and
notice the signs of changes. We
begin to lose our grip as things
change beyond our control. We may
even forget to do certain things. But,
finally, the situation is out of our
hands and we have to let go.

STANZA 2
The persona accepts that her
grandmother has passed on to the
other world, as all grandmothers do.
Grandmother, who was of a tall
stature became small, hunched and
forgetful.
STANZA 3
The persona at the age of three had
taken a photograph with her
grandmother. When she looks at the
photograph, she feels her
grandmothers presence. To the
persona, her grandmother is still very
much alive and smiling at her.

Stanza 3
But sometimes there may be a
memento to remind us of what
we used to be. The memento
helps to keep our memories
alive.

THEMES

LOVE, RESPECT, AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

The persona loves and respects her grandmother and
remembers all her good qualities, - her kindness, her smiles
and the fact that she had not discriminated her for being
black. She also values her relationship with her family,
especially her grandmother who did not discriminate her for
being "black".

DEATH
Death is not a terrifying experience. her grandmother is
not afraid of dying as 'her sharp blue eyes look her own
death in the eye". It is as if she understands that she is
old but is unafraid and defys death. the phototgraph
mush have been taken just before she became senile
and closer to death.

OLD AGE
The poet describes old age as the stage when one
becomes smaller in size, stooped with a round back, and
forgetful. Often, senility is accompanied by dementia,
where one does not know what is happening. In her
grandmother's case, she lived in an imaginary world of
her own.

DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM

A tinge of racism seeps through in "white hand in blank hand". Kay's father
was black and mother, white. Adopted by Scottish parents wo had taken
their children on anti-apartheid protests and peace rallies, she must have
been subjected to ridicule and discrimination in her childhood, thus the
comment on colour differences. here, she must have loved her grandmother
for not discriminating her.

MORAL VALUES

We should love
and appreciate
close family
members while
they are still
alive.

We must strive
for close family
relationship
with our
grandparents
and parents.

Keeping a memento like

a photograph helps to
keep memories alive.

We must learn
to let go of the
dead.

We must not
dwell on the
past too
much.

PERSONA
The persona is the poet herself. Of mixed parentage, she had been
adopted by a white Scottish couple, thus the reference to black hand.
SETTING
The setting is her grandmothers or parents house, where the
photograph is kept.
TONE AND MOOD
The poem is reflective and thoughtful, sometimes bitter, reminiscing
about her childhood and her relationship with her grandmother. She
misses her and keeps her memory alive by looking at the photo.

TASK 1: WARM-UP QUESTIONS

INSTRUCTION: LOOK AT THE PICTURE AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What do you think of the poem?

___________________________________________________________________

2. How many characters are there in the poem?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Is this a sad or a happy poem?

___________________________________________________________________

4. What does the word living in the title of the poem mean?
___________________________________________________________________
5. Where do you think this photograph is placed?
___________________________________________________________________
6. How old do you think the persona is now?
___________________________________________________________________

7. Where do you think the poets grandmother is now?

___________________________________________________________________

TASK 2
INSTRUCTION: ANSWER ALL THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What feature of the grandmother is repeated in the poem?

a) Hand
b) Smile
c) Blouse
d) Photograph
2. Where did the grandmother go?
a) A Vacation
b) Hospital
c) Passed Away
d) Photo Studio
3. Which word in the poem denotes the same meaning as the word unimaginable?
a) Unthinkable
b) Believable
c) Convincing
d) Probable
4.

Which word means a bent back?

a) Straighten
b) Uncurl
c) Hunched
d) Unbend

5.

Why is the grandmothers hand darker than her granddaughters?

a) She worked hard.
b) Sunburned
c) Pigmentation
d) Discoloration

TASK 3
INSTRUCTION: READ THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AND STATE WHETHER THEY ARE
TRUE OR FALSE.

Statement
1. The personas grandmother is still living with her.
2. The grandmother remains strong and healthy until her
death.
3. The grandmother seems to be a friendly and kind
8

True/ false
__________

woman.
4. The persona was three years old when her
grandmother died.
5. The persona recollects the memories of her

__________
__________

grandmother as she looks at the photograph.

__________
__________

TASK 4
INSTRUCTION: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE POEM.

1. Why do you think the grandmother forgot to boil the soup?

___________________________________________________________________
2. What is the main theme of the poem?
___________________________________________________________________
3. What are the things you admire about your grandmother?
___________________________________________________________________
4. How would you show your appreciation towards your grandmother?
___________________________________________________________________
5. Name one best moment or memory you share with your grandmother.
___________________________________________________________________

TASK 5
INSTRUCTION: FILL IN THE BLANKS TO COMPLETE A SYNOPSIS OF THE POEM.

THE LIVING
PHOTOGRAPH
By Jackie Kay
9

The persona talks about grandmother as The

Living Photograph. A photograph of her at the
age of (1) _________________ with her
grandmother makes her feel that grandmother is
(2) _________________ there for her.
Grandmother when young was tall and
(3)_________________ She was dressed very
neatly in a white shirt and
(4)_________________ skirt. She was not afraid
of dying. The persona sat by her bedside and
held hand as her grandmother drew her last
breath and went to the awful, (5)
_________________ and
(6)_________________ place. The persona
recalls that her grandmother become
(7)_________________ as she grew older. Her
back become round and (8)_________________
But, to the persona, her grandmother is still much
alive as she looks at the photograph of herself
and her grandmother

TASK 6
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW.

1. Who wrote the poem?

___________________________________________________________________
2. To whom do you think the title of the poem relates to?
___________________________________________________________________
3. What happened to her grandmothers physical appearance as she aged?
___________________________________________________________________

10

4. How does the persona describe the other world? How does this reflect the personas
perception of life after death?
___________________________________________________________________
5. Describe the clothes the grandmother wears in the photograph.
___________________________________________________________________
6. Describe the grandmother when she was old.
___________________________________________________________________
7. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?
___________________________________________________________________
8. What feature of the grandmother is repeated in the poem?
___________________________________________________________________
9. Where did the grandmother go?
___________________________________________________________________
10. Whose hands are darker, the grandmothers or the grandchilds?
___________________________________________________________________

TASK 7
INSTRUCTION: FIND THE WORDS IN THE MAZE. THOSE WORDS CAN BE FOUND IN THE
POEM FIND TEN WORDS FROM THE POEM IN THE MAZE BELOW.

P
A
S
L
K
B
E
P
A
N

H
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K
I
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L
H
O
W
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B
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G
H
A
N
D
F
B

T
I
R
O
B
C
D
I
U
Y

O
T
H
T
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K
S
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11

R
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A

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A
B
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D
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F
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A
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1. ___________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________
7. ___________________________________________
8. ___________________________________________
9. ___________________________________________
10. ___________________________________________

TASK 8
INSTRUCTION: FILL IN THE MORAL VALUES LEARNT FROM THE POEM

12

MORAL
VALUES

TASK 9
INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE BRIDGE MAP WITH THE OPPOSITES OF THE WORDS
GIVEN.

WORD

small

___________

______________

straight

tall

living

as _______________ as ______________

as

______________

ANTONYM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TASK 10

13

INSTRUCTION: MATCH THE LINES TO THE POETIC DEVICES APPROPRIATELY

Phrases /Lines

Poetic Devices
Symbol

1. tall there
2. white hand in black hand

Metaphor

3. crinkled smile

Alliteration

4. still living

Imagery

5. soup forgot to boil

Contrast

6. photo

Personification

7. her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the

Assonance

eye
8. straight-back, white broderieanglaise shirt,
pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun

Diction

TASK 11
INSTRUCTION: BASED ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POEM, LIST SIX
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GRANDMOTHER.

14

TASK 12
INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE WORD SEARCH ACTIVITY BELOW.

SEARCH ME!

15

WORD SEARCH
U
U
B
H
Q
K
Q
A
J
Q
S
V
E
F
J
O
B
U
L
C

N
N
L
T
M
D
G
H
R
I
F
H
V
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A
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P
A
J

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G
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P
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M A G I N A B
W K V S D W H
C F S A C F J
E S P D J U W
O C N B S L M
Q D O C F W I
Q N N G H K Z
C C T Q N K K
U G M N T I D
O F V I B N S
S E L U F D A
U U H Q W E L
V Q C D V K R
C Y H K N L H
B C O I X F K
C L R I V V T
H C N U H E E
T Y T U H B N
P V I S R O U
The Living Photograph
D Q F T B G I

L
K
B
Q
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V
F
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My small grandmother is tall there,

CRINKLED
Straight back, white, broderie anglaise shirt,
BENT
Pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun
AWFULAWFUL
a kind, old smile round her eyes.
UNIMAGINABLE
BENT
Her big hand holds mine,
FRAGILE
CRINKLED
white hand in the black hand.
DREADFUL
DREADFUL
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.
FORGETFUL
HUNCHED
FRAGILE
FORGETFUL
HUNCHED
PLEATEDIt was true, after all, that look.
My tall grandmother became small.
PLEATED
UNRECOGNISED
Her back round and hunched.
UNIMAGINABLE
TASK
13
Her soup forgot to boil.
UNRECOGNISED
went to the
awful place
go. MELAYU BASED ON
INSTRUCTION: She
IN GROUPS,
TRANSLATE
THEgrandmothers
POEM TO BAHASA
Somewhere
unknown, unthinkable
YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

http://puzzlemaker.discov/code/BuildWordS earch.asp
But there she is still,
In the photo with me at three,
The crinkled smile is still living, breathing.
Jackie Kay
16

P ag

TASK 14
INSTRUCTION: UNSCRAMBLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS.

REHTOMGRNAD
AIRTSTHG-ACKB
INKTNUHEALB
EERIDBRO
ELKINDCR
EILSM

17

Poem
18

The Charge of the Light Brigade by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

TASK 1: PRE-READING ACTIVITY-PREDICTION

INSTRUCTION: BEFORE YOU READ THE POEM. LOOK AT THE COVER OF THE POEM AND
ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

1. Look at the cover of the poem. Which of the following themes you think this
poem might be about? Tick your answer.
19

love
death
relationship
greed
family
war
envy
romance

2. What is the mood of the poem?

noble

hero

charging

boldly

3. Now look at these particular words. What do they tell you about the pace of the
action in the poem?
thunderd

flashd

volleyd

stormd

4. Write down any images that come to mind as you look at the cover of the poem.

Now read the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade on Worksheet 2. Were the
predictions that you made about the poem in questions 14 correct?

POEM
The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

20

1
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of

Word
League

Rode the six

"Forward, the Light
"Charge for the guns!"

Brigade

Into the valley of

Rode the six
2
"Forward, the Light

Charge
Dismayed
Blundered

Was there a man

Reason

Not tho' the soldier

Cannon

Someone had
Theirs not to make
Theirs not to reason
Theirs but to do and
Into the valley of
Rode the six
3

Volleyed
Thundered
Boldly
Shell

Meaning
An old way to
measure distance. A
league equals to 3
miles
A large group of
soldiers that forms a
unit of an army
Attack
Worried or scared
Made a careless
mistake
To find an
explanation
A large gun on
wheels
Fired by a lot of
bullets
A very loud noise
Bravely
A metal case that is
filled with explosives
and fired from a
large gun

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

ABOUT THE POET

21

Death
hundred.
Brigade!
he said:
Death
hundred.
Brigade!"
dismayed?
knew
blundered:
reply,
why,
die:
Death
hundred.

Stanza 1

Born on August 6, 1809 , in Somersby , Lincolnshire , England

Born into 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

Charge of the Light Brigade

Battle
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British light cavalry led
by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava
on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War.

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

22

Poem

Stanza 2

Literal meaning

Half a league, half a league,

The soldiers were on their horses, charging

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

forward
They were moving towards the battlefield which

Rode the six hundred

was frightening and deadly

There were six hundred horsemen in the

Forward, the Light Brigade!

brigade
The commander of the brigade ordered the

Charge for the guns! he said

Horsemen to move forward

The Light Brigade was ordered to seize the

Into the valley of Death

enemys guns
The six hundred soldiers rode into battle even

Rode the six hundred.

though they know they will end their lives.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

The six hundred in the light brigade rode forward by short distances. The commander ordered
the Light Brigade to charge for the enemys guns. The six hundred rode into certain death.

It reflects to a Psalm that is often read at funerals. The six hundred rode forward even though
there is no guarantee that they will come out alive.

Jot down
notes

Poem
Forward, The Light Brigade!

Literal meaning
The commander repeated the command and
move forward
23

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered

Stanza
3 of the soldiers scared?
Were any
None of the soldiers lost their courage even
though they knew that someone had made a
mistake.

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

The six hundred soldiers rode into battle even

though they know they will end their lives.

Rode the six hundred.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

The Brigade is ordered to charge forward. Even though the soldiers knew that someone
had blundered, they were not dismayed at the order to charge.

As soldiers, they are trained to follow orders without talking back or asking for a reason.
The six hundred rode into certain death.

Jot down
notes

Poem
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,

Literal meaning
The soldiers were surrounded by enemy cannon
24

Cannon in front of them

Volleyed and thundered;

from all sides. Defeat was clear for the soldiers.

The firing of cannon all around made a

Stormed at with shot and shell,

thundering sound.
Bullets and explosives were fired violently like a

Boldly they rode and well

storm.
Despite the attacks, the soldiers rode on with a
great courage.
The six hundred soldiers rode into battle even

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.

though they know they will end their lives.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

The Brigade was surrounded by enemy fire from right, left and front. Attacks with cannon-fire
and bullets came with deafening sounds. Yet, without being deterred , the six hundred rode
knowing that they would die
The scenario of war and certain death seemed equal to hell for all the six hundred.
The battlefield becomes the personification of death and hell.

Jot down
notes

Courage and heroism

The poem honours the
bravery and heroism of the
Light Brigade

Loyalty and Duty

The soldiers obediently
follow the commander's
order without question.

Patriotism
The soldiers fight bravely
despite knowing the futility
25
of the situation. Their
loyalty never end.

The complexities of war

The poem not only
highlights the violence and
tragedy of war but also
celebrates the courage and
loyalty of the soldiers

THEMES

MORAL VALUES

We must have
loyalty and
courage

We must instil
the spirit of
patriotism

As a soldier, it is
important to be
disciplined,
brave and
unquestioning

Sometimes, it is
good to ask
questions

TASK 2: WARM-UP QUESTIONS

INSTRUCTION: LOOK AT THE PICTURE AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

26

1. What is the Light Brigade?

______________________________________________________________________
2. When was this poem written?
______________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think is happening in the picture?
______________________________________________________________________
4. Who are the people in the picture?
______________________________________________________________________
5. What weapon is used in the picture?
______________________________________________________________________
6. When do you think this war happened?
______________________________________________________________________
7. How do you feel when you see this picture?
______________________________________________________________________
8. Where can we see this scene?
______________________________________________________________________
9. What qualities do we need to be a good soldier?
______________________________________________________________________
10. In your opinion, is war good or bad? Why?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

27

TASK 3
INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE WORD SEARCH BELOW.

28

TASK 4
INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE BELOW WITH WORDS FROM THE POEM.

29

Across

Down

2. The firing or discharge of a weapon, such as a

gun.

1. A simultaneous discharge of a number of bullets or

other projectiles.

5. A large mounted weapon that fires heavy

projectiles. Cannon include guns, howitzers, and
mortars.

3. A formation of fighting units, together with support

arms and services, smaller than a division and
usually commanded by a brigadier.

6. A mistake typically caused by ignorance or

carelessness.

4. The crashing or booming sound.

7. The act of dying; termination of life.

8. The cardinal number that is the product of ten and

ten.

9. To lose enthusiasm or resolution; disillusion or

discourage.

10. An artillery projectile containing an explosive

charge.

11. One who serves in an army.

13. A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8

kilometers).

12. An elongated lowland between ranges of

mountains, hills, or other uplands, often having a 14. A dangerous situation or confrontation.
river or stream running along the bottom.
15. To instruct or urge authoritatively; command.

TASK 5
30

INSTRUCTION: COMPLETE THE BUBBLE MAP BELOW WITH SUITABLE ADJECTIVES TO

DESCRIBE THE SOLDIERS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

THE
LIGHT
BRIGA
DE

CAN YOU DESCRIBE

THE LIGHT BRIGADE?

TASK 6
31

INSTRUCTION: MATCH EACH LITERARY DEVICE WITH THE CORRECT LINES/PHRASES

FROM THE POEM.

alliteration

personificati
on

imagery

Literary devices

repetition

rhyme

Lines/phrases
Cannon to the right of them,

1.

Cannon to the left of them,

Cannon in front of them
Into the valley of Death
Stormed at with shot and shell
Theirs not to make reply,

2.
3.
4.

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.
Into the jaws of Death,

5.

Into the mouth of Hell

TASK 7
INSTRUCTION: ANSWER TRUE OR FALSE FOR EACH OF THE STATEMENTS GIVEN

STATEMENT
1. The poem is about war
2. The commander orders the Light Brigade to attack

TRUE/ FALSE

the enemy
3. Some of the soldiers are very afraid
4. The soldiers fight a fierce battle
5. The Light Brigade returns home in triumph

TASK 8
INSTRUCTION: BASED ON THE POEM, CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER.

32

1. In the poem, half a league refers to

a) The number of the soldier
b) The attack of the enemy
c) The unit to measure distance
d) The soldier who ride on horses
2. How many soldiers are there in the Light Brigade?
a) 300
b) 400
c) 500
d) 600
3. Which of the following words means mistake?
a) Blunder
b) Dismay
c) Volley
d) charge
4. What happens to the soldiers in the end?
a) They are awarded for their bravery
b) They are captured by the enemy
c) They die in the line of duty
d) They return home safely.

TASK 9
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE CAREFULLY AND
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

33

Stanza 1

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.

1. What does 'half a league' refer to?

________________________________________________________________________
2. How many men were there in the cavalry?
________________________________________________________________________
3. Who were the six hundred men and what were they doing?
________________________________________________________________________
4. Why the location of this battle was called the valley of death?
________________________________________________________________________
5. Who does the pronoun 'he' in line 6 refer to?
________________________________________________________________________

6. Who ordered the cavalry to charge?

________________________________________________________________________
7. What was the Light Brigade ordered to do?
________________________________________________________________________
8. Which line in the poem indicates that the soldiers are marching towards their death?
________________________________________________________________________
34

9. Explain what stanza 1 is mainly about.

________________________________________________________________________
Stanza 2

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"

Was there a man dismayed?
Not tho' 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.
10. What does the word 'dismayed' mean?
________________________________________________________________________
11. Were any of the cavalry dismayed at the order to charge?
________________________________________________________________________
12. Who is the someone mentioned in line 12?
________________________________________________________________________
13. What does 'blundered' mean?
________________________________________________________________________
14. What is the blunder that someone made?
________________________________________________________________________
15. In lines 13-15, the word 'theirs' refer to whom?
________________________________________________________________________
16. What is the meaning of line 13 - 15?
35

________________________________________________________________________
17. Explain what 'not to make reply' means in line 13.
________________________________________________________________________
18. What does the poet mean by Theirs but to do and die?
________________________________________________________________________
19. Explain what stanza 2 is mainly about.
________________________________________________________________________
Stanza 3
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
20. What literary device is employed in lines 18 to 20?
________________________________________________________________________
21. Identify two examples of personification.
________________________________________________________________________
22. Why do you think the poet chose the words volleyed and thundered to describe
the situation during war?
________________________________________________________________________
23. In your own words, describe the battle.
________________________________________________________________________

36

TASK 10
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE CAREFULLY AND
DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

1. Do you think this poem glorifies war? Does it criticize it? How can you tell?

2. Do you believe that war is sometimes necessary? Do you think your feelings about that
issue change the way you read this poem?

37

3. Do you think someone could write a poem like this today? How do we celebrate the
courage of soldiers in the modern world?

4. Is it noble to follow orders without asking questions? Did the poem make you see the issue
differently?

5. Does sacrificing their lives for their country make these brave soldiers more admirable?
How?

TASK 11
INSTRUCTION: READ THE POEM THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE AND

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART IDENTIFYING

ELEMENTS OF THE POEM.

38

CHARACTERS who are the

characters in this story? Describe
the major players in this event?

SETTING where and when

does this story take place?

CONFLICT what is the major

problem in the story?

RISING ACTION what events

take place leading up to the
turning point in the story?

CLIMAX what event would be

considered the turning?point or
peak of the action?

FALLING ACTION what events

follow the climax?

RESOLUTION is the problem in

the story resolved? If so how?

THEME what lesson or

message does this story teach?

Now that you have completed the chart, write a 3-5 sentence summary for the poem.

39

40