Tennyson read a newspaper story about the Battle of Balaclava (not to be confused with baklava, the delicious dessert). ![]() While reading this poem, it's important to know that at the time, the British were fighting the Russian Empire in the Crimean War. By that point, he had been the Poet Laureate of England for more than four years, and he was well on his way to being the most famous and successful poet of his time. Tennyson published " The Charge of the Light Brigade" in an English newspaper called The Examiner on December 9, 1854. When he was born, he was plain old Alfred Tennyson.) (You got it, "Lord" isn't his middle name it's his aristocratic title. He was also given a title and a position in the nobility because of his awesomeness as a poet. ![]() Tennyson was a superstar poet during his life and was named poet laureate in 1850, after the death of William Wordsworth. It is a fantastic example of how you can use rhythm to reflect the narrative of a poem.The Charge of the Light Brigade IntroductionĪlfred, Lord Tennyson was an English poet writing during the Victorian period (that means during the reign of Queen Victoria, or 1837-1901). Also, and most effectively of all, it perfectly mirrors the thumping horses hooves as the army charges into battle. Rhythm: The poem uses dactylic dimeter, which is a rhythm that has one stressed followed by two unstressed syllables: DUM-da-da, DUM-da-da HALF a league, HALF a league… This rhythm is designed to give the poem an unstoppable, driving beat at its heart and this contributes to the high energy of the piece. Also, the use of rhyme reflected the passion and energy of the soldiers, and gives the poem a military order. In many ways, it could be seen as a rap in its day. It is easy to see how this poem would have caught the imagination of so many middle and upper class Victorian Englishmen with its energy and passion – and the fact that it is so memorable. Rhyme : The poem uses an irregular rhyme scheme, in that it doesn’t stick to a given pattern, though there are plenty of rhymes used throughout the piece, which gives it a driving, exciting rhythm. He also uses the stress on the first syllable to make the cannons seem even more aggressive and intimidating. He uses anaphora to emphasis the soldiers, and remind them – and the British people in general – that their first duty was to remain loyal to the crown.Ĭannon to right of them, / Cannon to left of them, / Cannon in front of them: Here, the poet uses anaphora to emphasise threat, repeating the word cannons until it seems like they’re all around us. Theirs not to make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die: These most famous lines from Charge remind British Soldiers that they should not question what they are doing. The soldiers entered the valley, but were even more brave as they were ready to fight within it. In the prayer, Christians are asked to remember the Lord as they pass through it. ![]() The Valley of Death is used in the Lord’s Prayer as a place that is full of the most terrible things imaginable. Into the Valley of Death: Here, Tennyson uses a religious reference to make the valley seem even more terrible. The poem made the dead soldiers seem like heroes and this was important as the British Army was keen on recruiting new soldiers at the time. ![]() He wrote it in 15 minutes after reading of a failed military attack during the Crimean War. Tennyson makes it sounds heroic and celebrates their sacrifice.Ĭontext: Alfred Lord Tennyson was the Poet Laurette when he wrote Charge. The charge took place during the battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, and saw almost the whole battalion die. Summary: This dramatic poem tells the story of a failed charge by the men of the Light Brigade.
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