Comparing Dulce et Decorum Est and The Charge of the Light Brigade - teaching resource

Comparing Dulce et Decorum Est and The Charge of the Light Brigade – KS3 & KS4 Poetry Resource

This fully resourced teaching pack is designed to support the comparative study of two classic war poems: Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Charge of the Light Brigade. Containing a 93-slide editable PowerPoint presentation and 4 worksheets, the unit provides detailed analysis, historical context, and structured comparison tasks for KS3 and KS4 learners.

Dulce et Decorum Est

• Biography of Wilfred Owen

• Context: World War One, trench warfare, propaganda, and poetry (with film footage)

• Introduction and audio/visual readings of the poem

• Comprehension and consolidation activities

• Analysis of imagery, poetic structure, and techniques

• Exploration of Owen’s message and themes

• Links to further war poetry resources, BBC History WWI, and the Wilfred Owen website

The Charge of the Light Brigade

• Biography of Alfred Lord Tennyson

• Context of the Crimean War and the poem’s background

• Detailed analysis of language, imagery, structure, and poetic devices

• Exploration of style, form, and themes

• Discussion and consolidation tasks

• Links to further information, including battle history and film clips

Comparative Work

• A structured framework for comparing the two poems

• Activities to build exam-ready comparison skills

This resource is ideal for developing pupils’ ability to analyse poetry, compare writers’ methods, and explore the impact of historical and social context on literature. Suitable for KS3 or KS4, it prepares students for GCSE comparative poetry tasks while encouraging thoughtful discussion of war and its representation in literature.

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