the living photograph & the charge of the light brigade

1

The Living Photograph&

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Prepared by: Puan Azalina Mohd YusoffSM Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra

Literature Component:

POEMS(Form 4)

2

The Living Photograph

by Jackie Kay

The poet’s background

Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1961 to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father. She was adopted by a white couple at birth and was brought up in Glasgow, studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Stirling University where she majored in English. The experience of being adopted by and growing up within a white family inspired her first collection of poetry, The Adoption Papers (1991). The poems deal with an adopted child's search for a cultural identity.


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 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.

Stanza OneLine no. Line Interpretation

1 My small grandmother is tall there, The persona is describing her grandmother in the photograph (tall : healthy & well)

3

2 straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt,

3 pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,

Her physical appearance (straight-back) & what she wears (very neat & proper)Note: broderie anglaise is French for ‘English embroidery’

4 a kind, old smile round her eyes. Her smile shows that she is kind & gentle

5 Her big hand holds mine, Her grandmother is loving & caring

6 white hand in black hand. The white hand belongs to her grandmother & the black hand is the persona’s (togetherness)

7 Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye. Her grandmother’s vision is still good but she is actually dying

Stanza TwoLine no. Line Interpretation

1 It was true after all; that look. ‘that look’ refers to the look of someone dying

2 My tall grandmother became small.

3 Her back round and hunched.

Her grandmother’s condition got worse when she was sick and dying

4 Her soup forgot to boil. She was too ill to take care of herself

5 She went to the awful place grandmothers go. She died6 Somewhere unknown, unthinkable. The place her grandmother was sent

to(afterlife) - was a mystery to the persona

Stanza ThreeLine no. Line Interpretation

1 But there she is still,

2 in the photo with me at three,

The persona is looking at the photograph of her grandmother and her when she was three years old

3 the crinkled smile is still living, breathing. To her, the memory of her old grandmother is still new and fresh

TIME>>> STANZA 1 : Present (Looking at the photograph)

STANZA 2 : Past (Remembering what happened)

STANZA 3 : Present (Looking at the photograph again)

“Without love, life isn’t worth living.”Jackie Kay

4

THEMES:➢ Family love➢ Appreciation➢ Loving memories

MORAL VALUES:➢ Love & care➢ Appreciation➢ Kindness➢ Thoughtfulness➢ Gratitude

MORAL LESSONS:➢ We must try our best to have a good and strong relationship with our grandparents➢ We should love and appreciate our elders especially in our family➢ We should spend as much time as we can with our loved ones before they die➢ We should take photographs with our loved ones and keep them ➢ We must not forget those who have died➢ We must learn to move on and accept life and death as part of life cycle

PRACTICE 1

STANZA 1

1. Give three descriptions of the persona’s grandmother’s appearance.(a) _______________________________________________________

(b) _______________________________________________________

(c) _______________________________________________________

2. Based on Stanza 1, describe the grandmother’s personality.

(a) _______________________________________________________

(b) _______________________________________________________

3. What does line 7 tell you about the grandmother?

__________________________________________________________

STANZA 2

1. Describe the grandmother when she was old and sick.(a) _______________________________________________________

(b) _______________________________________________________

2. Why did she forget to boil her soup?__________________________________________________________

3. What happened to the grandmother in the end?__________________________________________________________

STANZA 3

5

1. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?

__________________________________________________________

2. Describe the persona’s feelings when she looks at the photograph.

__________________________________________________________

3. Quote the phrase that describes the grandmother as being old.

__________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 2 (HOTS Questions)

1. In stanza 1, why does the grandmother look tall in the photograph?_____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

2. Based on stanza 1, describe how the persona feels about her grandmother. _____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

3. Why do you think the persona describes the afterlife as awful, unknown and unthinkable?_____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

4. Is it good to keep photographs of your loved ones? Give two reasons.(a) __________________________________________________________[1 mark]

(b) __________________________________________________________[1 mark]

5. Do you consider the grandmother as courageous? Give your evidence from the poem._____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

6. In your own words, describe the relationship between the persona and her grandmother._____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

PRACTICE 3 (VOCABULARY)

No. Word Meaning No. Word Meaning1 pleated 4 unknown

2 hunched 5 unthinkable

3 awful 6 crinkled

The Charge Of The Light Brigade

6

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson(1809-1892)

The poet’s background

This poem was written to memorialize a suicidal charge by light cavalryover open terrain by British forces in the Battle of Balaclava (Ukraine) inthe Crimean War (1854-56). 247 men of the 637 in the charge were killedor wounded. Britain entered the war, which was fought by Russia againstTurkey, Britain and France, because Russia sought to control theDardanelles. Russian control of the Dardanelles threatened British searoutes.The poem was written in the same year.

The Charge Of The Light Brigade

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.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!' Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Some one had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them

7

Volleyed& 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.

Line no.

STANZA 1 INTERPRETATION

1 Half a league, half a league,

2 Half a league onward,

A league is an old way to measure distance, and it was equal to about 3 miles. So half a league is roughly a mile and a half– the brigade/battalion wascharging forward in the battlefield

3 All in the valley of Death The place where many soldiers would die in the battle (very scary & uncertain)

4 Rode the six hundred. The exact number of soldiers was 600, riding horses

5 “Forward, the Light Brigade! The captain commanded the soldiers to move forward bravely Note: they are called "Light" to separate them from the "Heavy Brigade," another kind of cavalry unit at the time.Tennyson's poem is based on real events. In 1854, there was a Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War.

6 Charge for the guns!” he said. The soldiers were ordered to attack

7 Into the valley of Death The soldiers moved to the battlefield,prepared to fight and to die fighting.Thebrigade was ordered into the valley, eventhough they knew that they were going todie.

8 Rode the six hundred. Emphasis on the small number of soldiers – few but brave soldiers riding on horseback

Line no.


1 “Forward, the Light Brigade!” Again, the captain commanded the soldiers to move forward

2 Was there a man dismayed? Was there any soldier who would lose his courage, be terrified or sad?

3 Not though the soldier knewOf course the Light Brigade was too tough and loyal to feel dismayed. These men did

8

not feel discouraged at all. They were ready to do their job, even though the order might be crazy (to meet their death).

4 Some one had blundered.The soldiers knew that this charge was not a good idea, that someone had made a mistake.

5 Theirs not to make reply, The soldiers were loyal and obedient – they did not talk back to their commander

6 Theirs not to reason why, Or to figure out the point of the attack

7 Theirs but to do and die. All they could do was to ride and fight and possibly die

8 Into the valley of Death

9 Rode the six hundred.

Repetition of stanza 1 – to emphasize courage/bravery, loyalty, commitment, duty

Line no.


1 Cannon to right of them,

2 Cannon to left of them,

3 Cannon in front of them

The soldiers were surrounded by enemy cannon on their left, right and front. Bad news for the Light Brigade – they were actually surrounded by enemies.

4 Volleyed and thundered; So the huge walls of cannon all around them were firing and making a sound like thunder

5 Stormed at with shot and shell,The soldiers in the Light Brigade were being shot at with bullets and big explosives fired from the cannon - a violent, noisy, destructive force that sounded like a storm.

6 Boldly they rode and well,These soldiers were not scared of the gunfire. They rode bravely, confidently and with determination. It shows us how heroic these men were.

7 Into the jaws of Death, They were ready/willing to die of honour

8 Into the mouth of Hell ‘Hell’ – suffering and torture but the soldiers were brave

9 Rode the six hundred. 600 brave/courageous soldiers – men of honour

9

THEMES:➢ Bravery / Courage➢ Honour➢ War and conflict➢ Death and destruction

MORAL VALUES:➢ Bravery / Courage➢ Loyalty➢ Determination➢ Confidence➢ Honour➢ Sacrifice

MORAL LESSONS:➢ We must struggle for peace, not war. ➢ We must be loyal to our superiors.➢ Discipline is important in life.➢ Always be brave in facing challenges in life.

PRACTICE 1

STANZA 1

1. What does the “Light Brigade” refer to?_________________________________________________________________

2. Who said “Forward, the Light Brigade!”?_________________________________________________________________

3. What was the order?_________________________________________________________________

4. “Into the valley of Death” What would happen to the men?_________________________________________________________________

STANZA 2

1. Based on this stanza, describe the personality of the soldiers.(a) ________________________________________(b) ________________________________________ (c) ________________________________________

2. The word “Theirs” refers to ____________________________________________3. What is the meaning of “blundered”?

__________________________________________________________________STANZA 3

10

1. Describe the scene of the battlefield.__________________________________________________________________

2. What “Volleyed and thundered”?__________________________________________________________________

3. What do you think happened at the end of the poem?__________________________________________________________________


1. In your own words, describe how the soldiers felt when they went into the battlefield._____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

2. In your opinion, was it the right thing to do for the soldiers to follow the captain’s command? Give a reason._____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

3. What do you think of the captain’s command? _____________________________________________________________[2 marks]

4. Give two suggestions on how we should show our appreciations to those who defend our country.(a) __________________________________________________________[1 mark]

(b) __________________________________________________________[1 mark]


No. Word Meaning No. Word Meaning1 league 5 volleyed

2 valley 6 shell

3 dismayed 7 boldly

4 blundered 8 jaws

11

History

⦁ A major conflict of the 19th century, the Crimean War claimed at least 750,000 lives, more thaneven the American Civil War, and had a profound impact on such renowned personalities asBritish nurse Florence Nightingale and Russian author Leo Tolstoy. It got its start in and aroundJerusalem, then part of the Ottoman Empire, where Orthodox Christian and Catholic monks hadbeen engaging in fierce, sometimes deadly brawls for years over who would control various holysites. Following one such violent squabble in 1852, Czar Nicholas I of Russia, a self-proclaimeddefender of Orthodox Christianity, demanded the right to exercise protection over the OttomanEmpire’s millions of Christian subjects. Upon being rejected, he then sent his army, the largest inthe world, to occupy two Ottoman principalities in present-day Romania. The czar alsopurportedly had his eyes on Constantinople, the Ottoman capital, which if taken would give hisnavy unfettered access to the Mediterranean Sea. Unnerved by this expansionism, Britain andFrance sent their own warships to the area and vowed to defend Ottoman sovereignty.

⦁ Fighting officially broke out in October 1853, and the following month the Russians decimatedthe Ottoman fleet in a surprise attack. But although Nicholas referred to the declining OttomanEmpire as the “sick man of Europe,” his land forces made little progress in their push south,underscored by the failed siege of a fortress in present-day Bulgaria. Meanwhile, in March 1854,Britain and France declared war and immediately bombarded the then-Russian city of Odessa.With Austria likewise threatening to jump into the fray, Nicholas withdrew from Romania. Ratherthan declare victory, however, Britain and France decided to punitively target the Russian navalbase in Sevastopol, located on the Crimean Peninsula. On September 13, 1854, a joint alliedforce of over 60,000 troops sailed into Kalamita Bay, about 33 miles north of their objective. Dueto stormy weather, it took five days for them to fully disembark. Believing the conflict would beover quickly, they brought neither winter clothing nor medical supplies. They moreover lackedaccurate maps, had little idea how many Russian troops opposed them and flouted the dietaryrestrictions of the Muslim Ottoman soldiers within their ranks. To make matters worse, a choleraoutbreak erupted.

12

⦁ Nonetheless, the British and French defeated the Russians in their first run-in near the AlmaRiver, causing a panicked retreat with the help of their long-range Minié rifles. They thencommenced a roundabout march to Sevastopol, where they spent two-and-a-half weeks diggingtrenches and lugging artillery into position prior to initiating a bombardment of the city on October17. By that time, however, the Russians had significantly strengthened their defenses. Afterholding out for eight days, they tried to break the siege with a dawn attack on Britain’s supplybase in the nearby fishing village of Balaclava. That morning, having forced Ottoman troops toabandon four defensive redoubts, they were able to occupy the Causeway Heights just outsidetown. But they failed to progress any further thanks to a regiment of Scottish highlanders and theHeavy Brigade, each of which repelled a Russian advance.

⦁ With Balaclava now safe, Lord Fitzroy Somerset Raglan, the British commander-in-chief inCrimea, turned his attention back to the Causeway Heights, where he believed the Russianswere attempting to make off with some of his artillery guns. He ordered the cavalry, consisting ofboth the Heavy and Light brigades, to advance with infantry support “and take advantage of anyopportunity to recover” the lost ground. Lord Raglan expected the cavalrymen to moveimmediately, with the infantry to come later. But George Bingham, the earl of Lucan, whocommanded the cavalry, thought he wanted them to attack together. As a result, Lucan’s men sataround for 45 minutes waiting for the infantry to arrive. At that point, Raglan issued a new order,telling the cavalry to “advance rapidly to the front … and try to prevent the enemy carrying awaythe guns.” From his vantage point, however, Lucan could not see any guns being removed.Confused, he asked Raglan’s aide-de-camp where to attack, but instead of pointing to theCauseway Heights, the aide allegedly waved his arm in the direction of a Russian artillery batteryat the far end of an exposed valley.

⦁ Lucan next approached his brother-in-law James Brudenell, the earl of Cardigan, whocommanded the Light Brigade. The two men loathed each other so much they were barely onspeaking terms. And neither was apparently respected by the troops. One officer in the LightBrigade went so far as to call them both “fools.” Cardigan, he wrote in a letter home, “has asmuch brains as my boot. He is only equaled in want of intellect by his relation the earl of Lucan.”Though perturbed by Raglan’s order, Lucan and Cardigan obeyed it without first checking backin to make sure they understood it correctly. At their bidding, the roughly 670 members of theLight Brigade drew their sabres and lances and began their infamous mile-and-a-quarter-longcharge with Russians shooting at them from three directions (though never from all three at

13

once). The first man to fall was Raglan’s aide-de-camp. Another soldier then had “his head cleancarried off by a round shot, yet for about 30 yards further the headless body kept in the saddle,”according to a survivor. Other survivors spoke of being splattered with horse blood, of watchingtheir companions lose limbs, of seeing brains on the ground and of going through smoke so thickit was like “riding into the mouth of a volcano.”

⦁ The Heavy Brigade, which, its name notwithstanding, resembled the Light Brigade except withregard to uniform color, was supposed to follow in support but only went a short way down thevalley before Lucan directed it to turn back. Somehow, the Light Brigade reached its destinationanyway, crashing into the enemy lines with a vengeance. A few Russians even shot at their owncomrades in a desperate bid to clear an escape route. The Light Brigade’s members didn’t holdthe ground for long, though, before being forced to stagger back from whence they came. Enroute, Russian artillery pounded away again from the Causeway Heights—but not from the othertwo sides, as the Light Brigade had taken out one battery itself and the French had taken outanother—while Russian cavalrymen attempted to entrap them. In the end, of the roughly 670Light Brigade soldiers, about 110 were killed and 160 were wounded, a 40 percent casualty rate.They also lost approximately 375 horses.

⦁ Despite failing to overrun Balaclava, the Russians claimed victory in the battle, parading theircaptured artillery guns through Sevastopol. Yet they would surrender the city and naval basenearly a year later, after which they agreed to give up a small chunk of territory and to keep theirwarships out of the Black Sea in exchange for peace. Meanwhile, the Light Brigade’s exploitshad already become legendary in Britain, thanks largely to Alfred Tennyson’s poem “The Chargeof the Light Brigade.” Named poet laureate a few years earlier by Queen Victoria, he praised thebravery of the men as they rode into the “valley of death.” His poem “The Charge of the HeavyBrigade at Balaclava,” on the other hand, never quite captured the public’s imagination.

Additional Information on the Poem :

Stanzas 4, 5 & 6…

Flash'd all their sabres bare, Flash'd as they turn'd in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army while All the world wonder'd: Plunged in the battery-smoke Right thro' the line they broke; Cossack & Russian Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,Shatter'd & sunder'd. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred.

14

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, While horse & hero fell, They that had fought so well Came thro' the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wonder'd. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!

Remember & honour...

15

ANSWERS


PRACTICE 1

STANZA 1

16

1. Give three descriptions of the persona’s grandmother’s appearance.(a) tall

(b) straight-back

(c) has a kind old smile

(Also accept : neat / properly dressed)

2. Based on Stanza 1, describe the grandmother’s personality.

(a) kind

(b) warm

(Also accept : loving / caring / other suitable adjectives)

3. What does line 7 tell you about the grandmother?

Still strong / determined / courageous / brave

STANZA 2

1. Describe the grandmother when she was old and sick.(a) small

(b) round and hunched

2. Why did she forget to boil her soup?She was too ill / sick

3. What happened to the grandmother in the end?She died

STANZA 3

1. How old was the persona when the photograph was taken?

Three

2. Describe the persona’s feelings when she looks at the photograph.

Sad / nostalgic / other suitable adjectives

3. Quote the phrase that describes the grandmother as being old.

(the) crinkled smile


NOTE :The answers for HOTS questions can be varied & wide ranging but most importantly, they should be logical/reasonable and relevant to the question. Teachers are advised to use their own discretion. The answers given below are simply examples of acceptable ones.

1. In stanza 1, why does the grandmother look tall in the photograph?

17

Because she is still well/healthy even though she is already old [2 marks]

2. Based on stanza 1, describe how the persona feels about her grandmother. She loves her grandmother very much and she is very close to her grandmother.[2 marks]

3. Why do you think the persona describes the afterlife as awful, unknown and unthinkable?Because she is still a child and to her, death is something that is very scary and mysterious.[2 marks]

4. Is it good to keep photographs of your loved ones? Give two reasons.(a) Yes, because we can always remember how they look like [1 mark]

(b) Yes, because we can show the photographs to our children and grandchildren and tell them about their ancestors [1 mark]

5. Do you consider the grandmother as courageous? Give your evidence from the poem.Yes, she was very courageous based on the line ‘Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye’ [2 marks]

6. In your own words, describe the relationship between the persona and her grandmother.They were very close and they loved each other very much. [2 marks]


No. Word Meaning No. Word Meaning1 pleated Folded sewn or pressed

into the cloth 4 unknown Unfamiliar/mysterious

2 hunched Crouched 5 unthinkable Cannot be considered/imagined

3 awful Terrible/bad 6 crinkled Wrinkled

The Charge Of The Light BrigadePRACTICE 1

STANZA 1

1. What does the “Light Brigade” refer to?Soldiers

2. Who said “Forward, the Light Brigade!”?The commander/captain/leader of the brigade

18

3. What was the order?To attack the enemies/to move forward/to go into battle

4. “Into the valley of Death” What would happen to the men?They would die/they would not survive the battle

STANZA 2

1. Based on this stanza, describe the personality of the soldiers.(a) loyal/obedient(b) brave/courageous(c) confident/determined

2. The word “Theirs” refers to the soldiers3. What is the meaning of “blundered”?

Made a mistakeSTANZA 3

1. Describe the scene of the battlefield.The soldiers were surrounded by the enemies / the soldiers were attacked with cannon and gunshots

2. What “Volleyed and thundered”?The cannon

3. What do you think happened at the end of the poem?Most of the soldiers died in the battle / the soldiers lost the war / other possible answers


NOTE :The answers for HOTS questions can be varied & wide ranging but most importantly, they should be logical/reasonable and relevant to the question. Teachers are advised to use their own discretion. The answers given below are simply examples of acceptable ones.

1. In your own words, describe how the soldiers felt when they went into the battlefield.They felt very brave and determined to win the war even though they were a small a group of soldiers [2 marks]

2. In your opinion, was it the right thing to do for the soldiers to follow the captain’s command? Give a reason.Yes, because it was their duty to follow their leader ORNo, because the captain’s command means that they would die in the battle [2 marks]

3. What do you think of the captain’s command? It was the right thing to do because all the soldiers were experienced OR It was a crazy thing to do because there were only 600 soldiers to fight against so many enemies. [2 marks]

4. Give two suggestions on how we should show our appreciations to those who defend our

19

country.(c) We should have a special ‘Hero Day’ to honour them [1 mark]

(d) We should give them a special award for their honorable deeds [1 mark]


No. Word Meaning No. Word Meaning1 league Short distance / way to

measure distance (in the old days)

5 volleyed Hit/fired/shot

2 valley Low, flat land between hills/mountains / dale

6 shell Bullets from guns

3 dismayed Shocked/terrified/sad 7 boldly Bravely/courageously

4 blundered Made a serious mistake 8 jaws Lower part of your face

the living photograph & the charge of the light brigade

Education