Thise is a blog based on some information about the poem of Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson,Who was bron on 6th August 1809 and died on 6th October 1892, was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces, "Timbuktu". He published his first solo collection of poems, Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, in 1830.
Tennyson also excelled at short lyrics, such as "Break, Break, Break", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Tears, Idle Tears", and "Crossing the Bar". Much of his verse was based on classical mythological themes, such as "Ulysses". "In Memoriam A.H.H." was written to commemorate his friend Arthur Hallam, a fellow poet and student at Trinity College, Cambridge, after he died of a stroke at the age of 22. Tennyson also wrote some notable blank verse including Idylls of the King, "Ulysses", and "Tithonus". During his career, Tennyson attempted drama, but his plays enjoyed little success.
“The Charge of the Light Brigade”
Overview of the poem
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 dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Someone had blunder’d:
Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and 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
Volley’d and thunder’d;
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.
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 and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre-stroke
Shatter’d and sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
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 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.
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!
Overview of the poem
The poem tells the story of a brigade consisting of 600 soldiers who rode on horseback into the valley of death for half a league. They were obeying a command to charge the enemy forces that had been seizing their guns.
Soldiers were discouraged or distressed by the command to charge forward, even though all the soldiers realized that their commander had made a terrible mistake: the role of the soldier is to obey and then too they followed orders and rode into the “valley of death.”
The soldiers attack the enemy gunners with their encased swords and charged at the enemy army. They ordered into the heavy weaponry smoke and broke through the enemy line, destroying their Cossack and Russian opponents. Then they return back from the mission, but they had lost many men so they were “not the six hundred” any more.
As the brigade commanded “back from the mouth of hell,” soldiers and horses collapsed; few remained to make the journey back. The world applaud at the courage of the soldiers; indeed, their glory is undying: the poem states these noble 600 men remain worthy of honor and tribute even today.
Bravery, Duty, and Sacrifice
“The Charge of the Light Brigade” celebrates an act of bravery and sacrifice, a suicidal soldier charge during the Crimean war. Written just six weeks later, Tennyson's poem argues that the willingness of the soldiers to sacrifice themselves without calling their orders into question makes them heroes. The poem thus suggests that heroism isn’t just about bravery but also about duty: being willing to obey orders no matter the cost.
As the speaker makes clear, the soldiers charge is endangered from the start. They are surrounded by enemy guns, Everywhere the soldier looks they are “stormed at with shot and shell.” In other words, they just have swords hardly as powerful or terrifying as the big heavy weapons they’re going up against.
The speaker suggests that the soldier knows that their charge is doomed before they even start but they do it anyway. One might expect the soldier to object to the order, since it is a “blunder” which will get them all killed. But the speaker notes, none of the soldiers are frightened or discouraged. Instead, the speaker stresses that the cavalrymen respect their place with military hierarchy. It’s not their job to come up with orders, but to execute them.
As the poem celebrates this doomed cavalry charge and the “hero[es]” who did it, it is thus celebrating two different things at once. On the one hand, the speaker praises the bravery of the soldiers, their willingness to ride into a terrifying and horrifying battle. On the other, the speaker celebrates their obedience and commitment to military hierarchy, their willingness to execute an order even if they know it's a “blunder.” In this way, the poem suggests that heroism consists of both bravery and adherence to duty at once. And it subtly suggests that the blame for this military disaster does not lie with the soldiers themselves: they were exemplary soldiers.
Instead, the blame rests with the commanders who sent them on a suicidal mission. Though Tennyson himself supported the Crimean War, the poem might encourage readers to question the military leaders responsible for such a waste of life. But whether the reader leaves the poem in favor of the war or against it, the poem is more concerned with praising the soldiers themselves: celebrating their sacrifice, their bravery, and their commitment to their country.
The soldiers attack the enemy gunners with their encased swords and charged at the enemy army. They ordered into the heavy weaponry smoke and broke through the enemy line, destroying their Cossack and Russian opponents. Then they return back from the mission, but they had lost many men so they were “not the six hundred” any more.
As the brigade commanded “back from the mouth of hell,” soldiers and horses collapsed; few remained to make the journey back. The world applaud at the courage of the soldiers; indeed, their glory is undying: the poem states these noble 600 men remain worthy of honor and tribute even today.
Bravery, Duty, and Sacrifice
“The Charge of the Light Brigade” celebrates an act of bravery and sacrifice, a suicidal soldier charge during the Crimean war. Written just six weeks later, Tennyson's poem argues that the willingness of the soldiers to sacrifice themselves without calling their orders into question makes them heroes. The poem thus suggests that heroism isn’t just about bravery but also about duty: being willing to obey orders no matter the cost.
As the speaker makes clear, the soldiers charge is endangered from the start. They are surrounded by enemy guns, Everywhere the soldier looks they are “stormed at with shot and shell.” In other words, they just have swords hardly as powerful or terrifying as the big heavy weapons they’re going up against.
The speaker suggests that the soldier knows that their charge is doomed before they even start but they do it anyway. One might expect the soldier to object to the order, since it is a “blunder” which will get them all killed. But the speaker notes, none of the soldiers are frightened or discouraged. Instead, the speaker stresses that the cavalrymen respect their place with military hierarchy. It’s not their job to come up with orders, but to execute them.
As the poem celebrates this doomed cavalry charge and the “hero[es]” who did it, it is thus celebrating two different things at once. On the one hand, the speaker praises the bravery of the soldiers, their willingness to ride into a terrifying and horrifying battle. On the other, the speaker celebrates their obedience and commitment to military hierarchy, their willingness to execute an order even if they know it's a “blunder.” In this way, the poem suggests that heroism consists of both bravery and adherence to duty at once. And it subtly suggests that the blame for this military disaster does not lie with the soldiers themselves: they were exemplary soldiers.
Instead, the blame rests with the commanders who sent them on a suicidal mission. Though Tennyson himself supported the Crimean War, the poem might encourage readers to question the military leaders responsible for such a waste of life. But whether the reader leaves the poem in favor of the war or against it, the poem is more concerned with praising the soldiers themselves: celebrating their sacrifice, their bravery, and their commitment to their country.
Conclusion
Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade" immortalizes the bravery, duty, and sacrifice of the soldiers who rode into the valley of death during the Crimean War. The poem not only celebrates their courage in the face of overwhelming odds but also emphasizes their obedience to orders, highlighting the complex nature of heroism. While acknowledging the tragedy of the soldiers' fate, Tennyson's poem ultimately pays tribute to their unwavering commitment to their country. Through its vivid imagery and powerful themes, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" continues to captivate readers and inspire reflection on the nature of warfare, leadership, and the human spirit.
Here below I'm attaching one video which would help you in understanding more about this poem.
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Have an amazing learning experience🌻.
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