Lord Alfred Tennyson wrote the poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” in 1854 in order to commemorate the valiant effort and bravery of the 600 men who made a charge during Great Britain’s Crimean war effort. A year before the battle took place, Lord Tennyson had just been made poet laureate of Great Britain (Charge of the Light Brigade, History).
The British were engaged in the Crimean war against Russia during this time period. The charge depicted in “The Charge of the Light Brigade” took place at the Battle of Balaklava. The British were winning this important battle, but due to confusion in the chain of command the orders given to make the charge were actually a mistake. Nonetheless, Lord James Cardigan led his six hundred men on a charge, which was considered a near suicide mission. They ended up facing around forty percent casualties. Tennyson wrote this poem not to commemorate the war effort of the British, but to praise the bravery of the men who fought valiantly and risked their lives.
The poem has an interesting form, it is in dactylic diameter, which gives the poem a rhythm and evokes the image of men galloping towards battle on their horses. The poem tells the story of the battle, while also praising the bravery of those who fought. In the first lines, “Half a League, Half a league // Half a league onward,” Tennyson creates a sense of imagery where the reader can almost picture the men as they ride towards their enemy as if the readers were experiencing it for themselves (1-2).
The Term Paper on Answer The Narrator Poem Man Life
1. William Shakespeare "The Marriage of True Minds" Simple love sonnet: What one characteristic must true love have? What can cause love to change? What does the final couplet mean? Answer: One characteristic must be true love should have is an impediment. Love can be change when one starts having too much expectation or starts comparing with other things. The last couplet means that love is not ...
The word “league” (1), which represents a distance of three miles leads the reader to picture the battle about a mile off on the horizon. Tennyson then uses a metaphor, the “valley of death” to depict the scene of the battle (3), portraying the idea that the soldiers were riding onward towards a suicide mission. Furthermore, this metaphor glorifies the soldiers’ valiant effort and bravery because the soldiers know they are facing a high chance of death, yet they continue to ride towards the battle despite any fear they may have.
Tennyson then uses a quote from the commander’s point of view, “Forward the Light Brigade! / Charge for the guns!” in order to convey the sense of no return that the soldiers experience as they ride into the “valley of death” (5-6)(3) The last line in the first stanza, “Rode the six hundred” evokes an image (8), which demonstrates the harsh reality that many of these men will soon face an inevitable death as they ride towards the battle. The second stanza begins by using a quote from the commander again, but this time Tennyson writes “was there a man dismayed?” (10), further representing the bravery that the Light Brigade displayed as they rode forward. The repetition that later follows, “Theirs not to make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / theirs not but to do and die” puts the reader in the shoes of the solders who had no choice but to ride towards their possible death (13-15).
Tennyson uses the third stanza to evoke an image in the reader’s mind of the horrific battle that the Light Brigade soon faces. Tennyson begins by describing the cannon placement, which soon will surround the soldiers. By using the line, “Volleyed and thundered” Tennyson leads the reader to imagine themselves surrounded by the rumbling of cannon fire (21).
Tennyson uses imagery to describe the feeling in the gut of the riders as they were shot at, and to describe their composure as they bravely rode into the line of fire. Tennyson uses the rhymes of “Shell” (22), “well” (23), and “hell” (25) to create rhythm as the soldiers continued to ride boldly as they enter the battlefield. Another metaphor, “the jaws of Death” personifies Death while further depicting the soldiers’ fate as they continue their deadly charge (24).
The capitalization of “Death” throughout the poem emphasizes its seriousness and finality. The third stanza ends the poem’s build up of the charge towards the battle as the Light Brigade finally enters the battlefield.
The Term Paper on The Charge of the Light Brigade
The 25th October 1854 marked the day of the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War plus one of the most famous and ill-fated events in British military history, the so called ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’. Great miscommunication between commanders led to an error in military execution, the Light Brigade were mistakenly ordered to charge, although heroically, to their deaths. There is debate over ...
In the next stanza Tennyson begins to describe the actual fighting that occurred during the Battle of Balaklava. The first three lines, “Flashed all their sabers bare// Flashed as they turned in air // Sabring the gunners there,” create an image in the readers head of swords flashing in the light as the men of the Light Brigade strike down the enemy (27-29).
The abrupt entry of fighting into the poem is used by Tennyson to represent the clash of the two fighting forces and to demonstrate the pure chaos of the fight. Tennyson then interrupts the poems flow with the lines “Charging an army, while/ All the world wonder’d” in order to emphasize the sacrifices being made by the Light Brigade to protect the people of Great Britain (30-31), who know nothing of their great valiance and bravery. After this break the fighting picks right back up with the image of the soldiers “Plunge[ing] into the battery smoke” (32), this imagery allows the readers to depict men on horses emerging from smoke battered and wounded, yet continuing to fight valiantly. The image of the British defeating their enemy begins in the final two lines of the stanza as Tennyson describes the enemy retreating “But not/ Not the six hundred” (37-38).
By repeating the word “not,” Tennyson glorifies the Light Brigade as they continue to peruse a retreating enemy.
In the beginning of the next stanza Tennyson again uses repetition to describe the cannon placement, but this time the cannons are behind, instead of in front of the them demonstrating the success of the Light Brigade in breaking through the Russian lines. Tennyson goes on to praise the men of the Light Brigade and honor their sacrifices by stating:
“While horse and 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” (44-49).
Here Tennyson’s portrayal of fighting shifts as these lines are meant to look back on what the Light Brigade had just accomplished as they rode away. The final line acts to remember the men who lost their lives and emphasize that while the Light Brigade’s glory remains, they have made many sacrifices and lost many men.
The Term Paper on Light Brigade Soldiers Owen War
... 637 men involved in the charge, 247 were killed or injured. Tennyson describes the valiant charge of the light brigade into "the jaws of death." Tennyson makes ... guttering, choking, drowning" it is obvious from these two short lines that Owen's experience will stay with him forever. The fourth ...
The final stanza looks back on the battle and sings the praises of the men who had fought and risked their lives. The first line, “When can their glory fade?” seems to immortalize their sacrifice and victory (50).
While the second line of the stanza, “O the wild charge they made!” sings the praises of what they have just accomplished (51), which at one point seemed impossible. The last two lines “Honor the Light Brigade, / Noble six hundred!” represents Tennyson’s entire purpose for writing the poem (54-55), to commemorate the men who fought this battle, and that their sacrifices will always be remembered. Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” uses a series of imagery, rhyme, and rhythm to glorify and honor the charge that six hundred brave men made at the Battle of Balaklava. Tennyson’s poem follows the battle like a story, he uses imagery in order for the reader to depict the scene of the battlefield and feel the emotions of the men who risked their lives fighting. The rhyme and rhythm of the poem act to emphasize certain points throughout and to portray the emotions of the men at certain points as they ride towards and actually fight the battle. The end of the poem acts to immortalize and remember the men who rode towards their death, yet continued to fight valiantly. “The Charge of the Light Brigade” reminds readers of the patriotism and bravery that six hundred men displayed in their glorious charge at the Battle of Balaklava.
Works Cited:
“Charge of the Light Brigade.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2013. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charge-of-the-light-brigade>.
Tennyson, Lord Alfred. The Charge of the Light Brigade. Prentice Hall Literature Portfolio. Ed. Christy Desmet, D. Alexis Hart, Debora Church Miller. New Jersey: Pearson/ Prentice Hall, 2006. 511-13.
