"Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Lesson plans and teaching resources
Listen to Tennyson himself read the first 26 lines of the poem, originally recorded on wax cylinder. Access to this audio file requires an MP3 player such as QuickTime.
These short videos from the BBC provide analysis of both the poem and its historical background.
Five learning activities, including comparing original drafts of the poem in Tennyson's handwriting; and background information.
Students will discuss how a "poem can tell a story." Students will focus upon citing evidence to support central ideas found in the poem and then using those inferences to complete a comparison/contrast essay. Part of this study will include watching a 4-minute clip from the movie
The Blind Side
in which Tim McGraws character explains the meaning of the poem in terms of a football game between rivals LSU and Ole Miss. Includes handouts, related links. Designed for 8th graders.
This resource includes historical information, guiding questions, research activities, extension activities, and related links. Designed for grades 9, 10. Three pages; Adobe Reader required.
Handout with 6 comprehension questions. One page; Adobe Reader required.
Anlysis of both historical and literary elements of the poem. Includes related links.
Students explore through images a key Victorian idea about war; they develop an awareness of historical context by reading a Crimean War ballad and a first hand news report; they read Tennyson's poem and compare it with images and texts encountered; and they explore the legacy of Tennyson's poem and the validity of its enduring appeal. Lesson includes related links.
This lesson uses Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and Noyes's "The Highwayman" to teach vivid imagery and figurative language.