C HARGE OF THE L IGHT B RIGADE
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Context
Tennyson (1809 – 1892)
Unhappy childhood
o Father ill, depressed, violent, left family – unppleasent man
o Mother afraid of her husband for safety for herself and her children
o Abusive home made Tennyson a very miserable, introverted an d isolated
Middle calss family – good education and rich relatives
o Very good grammar schools
Became a poet Summary
o Went through a period of intense poverty
Struggling as start up poet and poor financial investment Context – poet laureate – Crimean war –
first war reporting – “hideous blunder”
o Forbidden to marry fiancé due to his financial situation (Emily) William Howard Russell – Battle of Balaclava
Father forbade it – Tennyson was victim of class predjudice – 120 killed- unclear instructions – cavalry
Became a very rich and successful poet upper class and protected from action –
o Quintisentially victorain and very well known / famous / celebrity most leaders buy their rank no experience or
skill
Poet Laureate
Form – ballad – historic poem meant to
Had a duty to the queen and upper classes to defend their the aristocracy help remember historic event (memory
o Responsible for maintaining morale at home device) – refrain repeated (six hundred) //
o Duty to glorify and honour the soldiers and glorify war – return british attitude (crucial to britsih
dactylic dimeterleadership
– rhythm ofthat
horse – falling
public continue to support war) rhythm – humour/satire // consistent meter
– blind obedience – makes breaks more
Also a duty as a form of journalist obvious (blunder’d) and collective //
o Needed to report events as they occurred irregular rhyme scheme w/ couplets and
o Hence subtle criticism of upperclass leadership indentation -
War Reporting Structure – end with command to honour
Often considered the first war to be documented and reported on – clear intention and last message // Volta
“not the six hundred” // cyclical with refrain
o The public were aware of each event and occurance // six numbered stanzas // open in medias
o Wiliam Howard Russel often condisered the first modern war correspondant – cover res Crimean War
Referred to the “hideous blunder” of the battle and the sodleirs obeying and doing their duty
Language even toallusion
– religious “certain
- “valley of
death” death” protection - harrying of hell //
Tennyson read the report – later claimed he couldn’t get “hideous blunder” out ofanaphora
his headand epistrophe – obedience and
honour // euphemism for death // heroic
For the first time, the horrors of war were brought home to readers semantic field // metaphors // SACRIFICE
o War reporting held leaders accountable Key idea –
Public read Russel’s report as a critisim of leadership Uses ambiguity to hide his subtle criticise of
Public opinion against the war – journalism had big impact the leaders - no ambiguity in praise of
Challeng to traditional british attitude towards war soldiers
Work was restricted by the need to support
Crimean War (1853-56) the government he was hired by but he was
Russia vs Ottomen empire also bound by the duty of a poet turned war
o France and Britain get involved – prevent Russian expansion reporter to tell the truth – however subtly
Very unpopular war with the public Tennyson’s aim is unequivocally to create a
memory aid, but it is what he wants the
o Didin’t think britian needed to be involved reader to remember that is debatable: a
o Far away and didn’t threaten anyone in Britain song in memory of the humour of the
o Many mistakes made at a high level of command soldiers and glory of war, or a cautionary tale
o Not worth the lives – best documented war thus far – aware of what was going on to remind future generations of the need for
leaders to be chosen on merit and not social
Battle of Balaclava class.
written in recognition of the Battle of Balaclava
around 120 men were killed and as many injured due to unclear orders that seemingly instructed them to ride in
towards enemy artillery, resulting in a massacre.
Rode straight into the Russian artillery – cannons
o Bayonets vs cannons
Russians retreating – light brigade told to ride in and retrieve guns (valuable)
Ligth Brigade vs Cavalry
Light brigade lower class – lightly armoured on horseback
Cavalry – respected – upper class – often didn’t get involved in battles (used to dispose of defeated opponents or work
as reconnaissance) – resented by the working class light brigade
Leadership
, All nobles and aristocrats
o Bought their roles – buy into leadership
o No real experience of war or skill in tactics
Big mix up in orders at high level – order not clear
Synopsis
Light brigade charging through a valley after being ordered to charge the Russian guns
Had received an order and were unable to dispute it
There had been a mistake in the order – it was a "blunder"
Surrounded by cannons and artillery fire
Big heroic battle – bayonets ("sabres") versus guns
Come back from the battle but many soldiers left behind dead
Surrounded agains as they retreat
Tennyson instructs the reader to remember, honour and glorify the "noble six hundred"
Form
Ballad
a historic form of poetry telling a story (often as a song) so that it may be remembered by generations to come.
o Medieval in origin, ballads were used as a medium for oral history within a largely illiterate population
o Tell of a historic event – make it easy to remember
o Could be tragic
This form fits the purpose of his writing – memorialise
o role of poet laureate - commissioned to commemorate the battle of Balaclava and revere the soldier’s bravery
o therefore his lyrical ballad serves as a tool to aid the reader’s remembrance of the event and fuels Tennyson’s
reminder of war’s glory.
A ballad’s role as a memory device
o strengthened by the musicality of rhyme (couplets), rhythm (Tennyson uses Dactylic Dimeter) and a refrain (a
regularly repeated line)
Refrain – “the six hundred”
Refrain used to aid memory
Also repetitive – keep focus on the subject of the poem
o The aim of the poem is for people to focus on the soldiers and honour them
o Or a numerical figure which is emphasised at the end of every line to ensure every single soldier has their honour
remembered.
Just as each group of 100 is given a numbered stanza
refrain could also be a condemning statistic
o reiterating the heavy consequence of poor leadership so that the poem serves as a cautionary tale to remind future
generations of the need for leaders to be chosen on merit and not social class.
What does he want to be remembered?
It is obvious that Tennyson intends for his poem to be memorable
o But his purpose is ambigious
Is it to honour and memorialise the bravery of the soldiers and honour of their battle
Or is it to serve as a cautionary tale, ensuring the mistakes of the battle are never repeated
o Spare future soldiers from the foolish leadership of aristocrats with no merit
o Leaders on skill not merit
o Should always be remembered as a tradgedy – this is more fitting of a ballad
Often tragic message
Highlighted by ambiguity in poem – “wondered” –“six hundred” as condemnation or commemoration
Dactylic Dimeter
Rhythm of a horse – action
o sensory illusion of being immersed within the battle
o poem’s rhythm replicates the sound of a horse galloping
place reader in their situation – experience what they experience
better enabled to emphasise with the soldiers
o appreciate the danger and fear they were subject to
o thus gain deeoer appreciation of their bravery
o also keeps a fast pace – adds tension and excitement
Falling rhythm
o Constantly stress then two unstressed – falling sensation
, o Mimic the falling of the soldiers, implying the inevitability of their death
o Just as rhythm will inevitably fall away, the soldiers cannot avoid their own fall
Humourous purposes – satire
o historically used for humorous purposes - viewed as a light hearted form of meter
seems to be in juxtaposition to the serious content of the poem
could suggest that it was chosen with the intention of being seen as a form of subtle satire
mocking the foolishness of the aristocratic leaders who don’t take their power seriously and make decisions
with heavy consequences.
o As satire is used to attack societal injustices and issues, Tennyson may intend his poem to draw attention to the
need for a more careful selection of leaders.
Consistency of meter
Meaning can also be read into the consistency of Tennyson’s meter, as he rarely breaks from it.
o This echoes the blind obedience of the soldiers who stuck to the commands they were given at their own expense
consistently following other people’s decisions even when they made no logical sense.
o The order and control of the military
o Equally, parallels can be drawn between there being no break from the meter just as there is no reprieve from war
and the horrors it presents.
The constistency also allows Tennyson to draw attention to select lines that break from the rhythm
o infrequent inconsistencies are emphasized due to their rarity
o further emphasis through indentation – single them out as significant
One such example is in “someone had blunder’d”; by choosing to stray from his rhythm, Tennyson highlights the
reference to the cause of the massacre – poor leadership.
o Also enocurahe the lines to be viewed collectively –as a narrative
Indented, break meter, rhyme with each other
"blunder’d", "thunder’d" "wonder’d"
It was the blunder that led to the soldiers being surrounded by the thunder of artillery, and this mistake that led
to the wonder of the public – condemning the foolishness
Structure
Irregular rhyme scheme – rhyming couplets
Rhyming couplets between indented lines
o Also some couplets throughout poem – not predicatable
Couplets add a degree of inevitability – can predict what will come next
o But undermined by irregularities “honour the light
o War is never completely predicatable –e.g. leader could make a blunder brigade"
Couplets tie the lines together
o Help them to be viewed collectively (see below)
Ending – command “noble six
Imperative – “honour” hundred"
o He is demanding that they remember and honour the soldiers
o This part of the poem is unambiguous – he respects and honours the soldiers
o They were undoubtedly brave and fulfilled their duty
End with this message – it is what the reader should take away from the poem – remember heroism and praise of it
o Remembrance is the aim of a ballad
Cyclical structure
Each stanza ends in “six hundred” – keep bringing it back to them
o End with focus on light brigade as it started
o Ensure that the poem remains focused on them
By returning to the six hundred at each end line it creates a cyclical sensation
o The ending of the stanza is inevitable
o Just as war and the suffering and death of war is inevitable
Can predict how it ends as you can predict how the stanza (and poem) will end
o Helped by rhyming couplets between indented lines
Element of predictability and inevitaboility
Volta = “but not the six hundred”
Changes tone of poem from praiseto remembrance
Acknowledges that the honour is not untainted
o Many died
Six numbered stanzas
One stanza for each group of 100 soldiers
, o Ensure they are all remembered
o Like memorials to them
Strengthened by Tennyson numbering the stanzas – makes it expliciti that there are six
Opening / Title
In medias res
Opens mid action - "half a league"
o Reader thrown into the action – not prepared
o Establish active and dangerous atmosphere from the start
o Ensure the reader views the whole poem through the lens of threat and risk
Aware from the start that the soldiers were engaged in war and battle – brave
His first and last message is of the bravery of the soldiers
Allusion to "valley of death" at the start
o Should impact how the reader views the whole poem
o As something ambiguous and as something that explores protection and obedience/faith
"Charge of the Light Brigade"
Literal meaning – charge
o The poem is to commemorate a literal charge
o The light brigade charges at Russian artillery
Could highlight unbalanced power – they were charging into Russians who just had to stay still and shoot them
o Captures action of the battle – they are taking part in a heroic, fast paced charge to bring glory to Britain
o Connotes violence – battle comes with the expectation of loss of life and violence
Price of war – charge also means to impose a price/payment
o Tennyson could subtly be critisisng the "charge" issued by war
The cost of honour and glory is death
The cost of safety and respect for England is the death of hundreds of soldiers
o Thus Tennyson explores the glory of war, but also acknowledges that this comes at a cost
o The "charge" of the light brigade = payment imposed on the light brigade
Duty – to put someone in charge/ impose a duty / their charge
o The soldiers are charged with the duty of protecting those at home and bringing honour to Britain
o Comes from carrus – to load
They are charged with a heavy load – they will have to die
OR is Tennyson charging (i.e. accusing) the leaders with the deaths of the light brigade
o Whose charge led to their death? who was in charge? Who was responsible?
Still debated who’s order was responsible for the deaths
Language
Repetition – anaphora and epistrophe
Anaphora of “theirs not to make reply/reason why” “theirs but to do an die”
o Reiterates the phrase – reiterates their obedience (desirable trait in Victorian society – manner and etiquette
focused era)
o Repetition shows how ingrained and intrinsic this obedience has become
Not even questioning orders – don’t even think about it
No point – have learnt they are not valued
Not able to question decisions made about their lives
o Big value placed on order, obedience and submission to hierarchy in Victorian society
Should submit to social/hierarchical betters
Never question or challenge the decisions of those above you
o Repetition presents a loss of individualism – mourning loss of individual freedom
The monotony and lack of change reflects their undifferentiated mindsets
Training removes individual thought – not thinking for them selves
They have been trained to think in a uniform way - “theirs” grouped – don’t question – don’t break from
expectations
o Also makes it memorable
Wants reader to remember that it was this inability to question orders that ultimately led to their demise
Couldn’t question an order even when it was obviously foolish and futile “charge at the guns”
Epistrophe - “the six hundred”
o Keeps reader focused on the topic of the poem > honouring the soldiers
o Serves as the ballad’s reprise
“while horse
and hero fell"
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Context
Tennyson (1809 – 1892)
Unhappy childhood
o Father ill, depressed, violent, left family – unppleasent man
o Mother afraid of her husband for safety for herself and her children
o Abusive home made Tennyson a very miserable, introverted an d isolated
Middle calss family – good education and rich relatives
o Very good grammar schools
Became a poet Summary
o Went through a period of intense poverty
Struggling as start up poet and poor financial investment Context – poet laureate – Crimean war –
first war reporting – “hideous blunder”
o Forbidden to marry fiancé due to his financial situation (Emily) William Howard Russell – Battle of Balaclava
Father forbade it – Tennyson was victim of class predjudice – 120 killed- unclear instructions – cavalry
Became a very rich and successful poet upper class and protected from action –
o Quintisentially victorain and very well known / famous / celebrity most leaders buy their rank no experience or
skill
Poet Laureate
Form – ballad – historic poem meant to
Had a duty to the queen and upper classes to defend their the aristocracy help remember historic event (memory
o Responsible for maintaining morale at home device) – refrain repeated (six hundred) //
o Duty to glorify and honour the soldiers and glorify war – return british attitude (crucial to britsih
dactylic dimeterleadership
– rhythm ofthat
horse – falling
public continue to support war) rhythm – humour/satire // consistent meter
– blind obedience – makes breaks more
Also a duty as a form of journalist obvious (blunder’d) and collective //
o Needed to report events as they occurred irregular rhyme scheme w/ couplets and
o Hence subtle criticism of upperclass leadership indentation -
War Reporting Structure – end with command to honour
Often considered the first war to be documented and reported on – clear intention and last message // Volta
“not the six hundred” // cyclical with refrain
o The public were aware of each event and occurance // six numbered stanzas // open in medias
o Wiliam Howard Russel often condisered the first modern war correspondant – cover res Crimean War
Referred to the “hideous blunder” of the battle and the sodleirs obeying and doing their duty
Language even toallusion
– religious “certain
- “valley of
death” death” protection - harrying of hell //
Tennyson read the report – later claimed he couldn’t get “hideous blunder” out ofanaphora
his headand epistrophe – obedience and
honour // euphemism for death // heroic
For the first time, the horrors of war were brought home to readers semantic field // metaphors // SACRIFICE
o War reporting held leaders accountable Key idea –
Public read Russel’s report as a critisim of leadership Uses ambiguity to hide his subtle criticise of
Public opinion against the war – journalism had big impact the leaders - no ambiguity in praise of
Challeng to traditional british attitude towards war soldiers
Work was restricted by the need to support
Crimean War (1853-56) the government he was hired by but he was
Russia vs Ottomen empire also bound by the duty of a poet turned war
o France and Britain get involved – prevent Russian expansion reporter to tell the truth – however subtly
Very unpopular war with the public Tennyson’s aim is unequivocally to create a
memory aid, but it is what he wants the
o Didin’t think britian needed to be involved reader to remember that is debatable: a
o Far away and didn’t threaten anyone in Britain song in memory of the humour of the
o Many mistakes made at a high level of command soldiers and glory of war, or a cautionary tale
o Not worth the lives – best documented war thus far – aware of what was going on to remind future generations of the need for
leaders to be chosen on merit and not social
Battle of Balaclava class.
written in recognition of the Battle of Balaclava
around 120 men were killed and as many injured due to unclear orders that seemingly instructed them to ride in
towards enemy artillery, resulting in a massacre.
Rode straight into the Russian artillery – cannons
o Bayonets vs cannons
Russians retreating – light brigade told to ride in and retrieve guns (valuable)
Ligth Brigade vs Cavalry
Light brigade lower class – lightly armoured on horseback
Cavalry – respected – upper class – often didn’t get involved in battles (used to dispose of defeated opponents or work
as reconnaissance) – resented by the working class light brigade
Leadership
, All nobles and aristocrats
o Bought their roles – buy into leadership
o No real experience of war or skill in tactics
Big mix up in orders at high level – order not clear
Synopsis
Light brigade charging through a valley after being ordered to charge the Russian guns
Had received an order and were unable to dispute it
There had been a mistake in the order – it was a "blunder"
Surrounded by cannons and artillery fire
Big heroic battle – bayonets ("sabres") versus guns
Come back from the battle but many soldiers left behind dead
Surrounded agains as they retreat
Tennyson instructs the reader to remember, honour and glorify the "noble six hundred"
Form
Ballad
a historic form of poetry telling a story (often as a song) so that it may be remembered by generations to come.
o Medieval in origin, ballads were used as a medium for oral history within a largely illiterate population
o Tell of a historic event – make it easy to remember
o Could be tragic
This form fits the purpose of his writing – memorialise
o role of poet laureate - commissioned to commemorate the battle of Balaclava and revere the soldier’s bravery
o therefore his lyrical ballad serves as a tool to aid the reader’s remembrance of the event and fuels Tennyson’s
reminder of war’s glory.
A ballad’s role as a memory device
o strengthened by the musicality of rhyme (couplets), rhythm (Tennyson uses Dactylic Dimeter) and a refrain (a
regularly repeated line)
Refrain – “the six hundred”
Refrain used to aid memory
Also repetitive – keep focus on the subject of the poem
o The aim of the poem is for people to focus on the soldiers and honour them
o Or a numerical figure which is emphasised at the end of every line to ensure every single soldier has their honour
remembered.
Just as each group of 100 is given a numbered stanza
refrain could also be a condemning statistic
o reiterating the heavy consequence of poor leadership so that the poem serves as a cautionary tale to remind future
generations of the need for leaders to be chosen on merit and not social class.
What does he want to be remembered?
It is obvious that Tennyson intends for his poem to be memorable
o But his purpose is ambigious
Is it to honour and memorialise the bravery of the soldiers and honour of their battle
Or is it to serve as a cautionary tale, ensuring the mistakes of the battle are never repeated
o Spare future soldiers from the foolish leadership of aristocrats with no merit
o Leaders on skill not merit
o Should always be remembered as a tradgedy – this is more fitting of a ballad
Often tragic message
Highlighted by ambiguity in poem – “wondered” –“six hundred” as condemnation or commemoration
Dactylic Dimeter
Rhythm of a horse – action
o sensory illusion of being immersed within the battle
o poem’s rhythm replicates the sound of a horse galloping
place reader in their situation – experience what they experience
better enabled to emphasise with the soldiers
o appreciate the danger and fear they were subject to
o thus gain deeoer appreciation of their bravery
o also keeps a fast pace – adds tension and excitement
Falling rhythm
o Constantly stress then two unstressed – falling sensation
, o Mimic the falling of the soldiers, implying the inevitability of their death
o Just as rhythm will inevitably fall away, the soldiers cannot avoid their own fall
Humourous purposes – satire
o historically used for humorous purposes - viewed as a light hearted form of meter
seems to be in juxtaposition to the serious content of the poem
could suggest that it was chosen with the intention of being seen as a form of subtle satire
mocking the foolishness of the aristocratic leaders who don’t take their power seriously and make decisions
with heavy consequences.
o As satire is used to attack societal injustices and issues, Tennyson may intend his poem to draw attention to the
need for a more careful selection of leaders.
Consistency of meter
Meaning can also be read into the consistency of Tennyson’s meter, as he rarely breaks from it.
o This echoes the blind obedience of the soldiers who stuck to the commands they were given at their own expense
consistently following other people’s decisions even when they made no logical sense.
o The order and control of the military
o Equally, parallels can be drawn between there being no break from the meter just as there is no reprieve from war
and the horrors it presents.
The constistency also allows Tennyson to draw attention to select lines that break from the rhythm
o infrequent inconsistencies are emphasized due to their rarity
o further emphasis through indentation – single them out as significant
One such example is in “someone had blunder’d”; by choosing to stray from his rhythm, Tennyson highlights the
reference to the cause of the massacre – poor leadership.
o Also enocurahe the lines to be viewed collectively –as a narrative
Indented, break meter, rhyme with each other
"blunder’d", "thunder’d" "wonder’d"
It was the blunder that led to the soldiers being surrounded by the thunder of artillery, and this mistake that led
to the wonder of the public – condemning the foolishness
Structure
Irregular rhyme scheme – rhyming couplets
Rhyming couplets between indented lines
o Also some couplets throughout poem – not predicatable
Couplets add a degree of inevitability – can predict what will come next
o But undermined by irregularities “honour the light
o War is never completely predicatable –e.g. leader could make a blunder brigade"
Couplets tie the lines together
o Help them to be viewed collectively (see below)
Ending – command “noble six
Imperative – “honour” hundred"
o He is demanding that they remember and honour the soldiers
o This part of the poem is unambiguous – he respects and honours the soldiers
o They were undoubtedly brave and fulfilled their duty
End with this message – it is what the reader should take away from the poem – remember heroism and praise of it
o Remembrance is the aim of a ballad
Cyclical structure
Each stanza ends in “six hundred” – keep bringing it back to them
o End with focus on light brigade as it started
o Ensure that the poem remains focused on them
By returning to the six hundred at each end line it creates a cyclical sensation
o The ending of the stanza is inevitable
o Just as war and the suffering and death of war is inevitable
Can predict how it ends as you can predict how the stanza (and poem) will end
o Helped by rhyming couplets between indented lines
Element of predictability and inevitaboility
Volta = “but not the six hundred”
Changes tone of poem from praiseto remembrance
Acknowledges that the honour is not untainted
o Many died
Six numbered stanzas
One stanza for each group of 100 soldiers
, o Ensure they are all remembered
o Like memorials to them
Strengthened by Tennyson numbering the stanzas – makes it expliciti that there are six
Opening / Title
In medias res
Opens mid action - "half a league"
o Reader thrown into the action – not prepared
o Establish active and dangerous atmosphere from the start
o Ensure the reader views the whole poem through the lens of threat and risk
Aware from the start that the soldiers were engaged in war and battle – brave
His first and last message is of the bravery of the soldiers
Allusion to "valley of death" at the start
o Should impact how the reader views the whole poem
o As something ambiguous and as something that explores protection and obedience/faith
"Charge of the Light Brigade"
Literal meaning – charge
o The poem is to commemorate a literal charge
o The light brigade charges at Russian artillery
Could highlight unbalanced power – they were charging into Russians who just had to stay still and shoot them
o Captures action of the battle – they are taking part in a heroic, fast paced charge to bring glory to Britain
o Connotes violence – battle comes with the expectation of loss of life and violence
Price of war – charge also means to impose a price/payment
o Tennyson could subtly be critisisng the "charge" issued by war
The cost of honour and glory is death
The cost of safety and respect for England is the death of hundreds of soldiers
o Thus Tennyson explores the glory of war, but also acknowledges that this comes at a cost
o The "charge" of the light brigade = payment imposed on the light brigade
Duty – to put someone in charge/ impose a duty / their charge
o The soldiers are charged with the duty of protecting those at home and bringing honour to Britain
o Comes from carrus – to load
They are charged with a heavy load – they will have to die
OR is Tennyson charging (i.e. accusing) the leaders with the deaths of the light brigade
o Whose charge led to their death? who was in charge? Who was responsible?
Still debated who’s order was responsible for the deaths
Language
Repetition – anaphora and epistrophe
Anaphora of “theirs not to make reply/reason why” “theirs but to do an die”
o Reiterates the phrase – reiterates their obedience (desirable trait in Victorian society – manner and etiquette
focused era)
o Repetition shows how ingrained and intrinsic this obedience has become
Not even questioning orders – don’t even think about it
No point – have learnt they are not valued
Not able to question decisions made about their lives
o Big value placed on order, obedience and submission to hierarchy in Victorian society
Should submit to social/hierarchical betters
Never question or challenge the decisions of those above you
o Repetition presents a loss of individualism – mourning loss of individual freedom
The monotony and lack of change reflects their undifferentiated mindsets
Training removes individual thought – not thinking for them selves
They have been trained to think in a uniform way - “theirs” grouped – don’t question – don’t break from
expectations
o Also makes it memorable
Wants reader to remember that it was this inability to question orders that ultimately led to their demise
Couldn’t question an order even when it was obviously foolish and futile “charge at the guns”
Epistrophe - “the six hundred”
o Keeps reader focused on the topic of the poem > honouring the soldiers
o Serves as the ballad’s reprise
“while horse
and hero fell"
