Essay On The Charge Of The Light Brigade By Alfred Lord Tennyson

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s best known work is undoubtedly his 1854 narrative poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” This rhythmical literary piece is unique and allows the reader to learn the struggles and consequences of the Crimean War. Tennyson is able to capture the fate of the six hundred soldiers with great detail. From this narrative work, readers are able to dissect these details to uncover many of the hidden moral lessons taught throughout the poem such as bravery and self-sacrifice. In the beginning of this piece the narrator is giving some kind of significant plea to the soldiers that he is leading into an impossible battle against the Russian army during the Crimean War. He yells to his men, “Forward the Light Brigade! Charge for
In order for him to tell the story with accuracy he spent a tremendous amount of time studying the events in local newspapers. According to Arnold Markley, “On October 25, 1854, the famous charge occurred during a battle in which the Russians unsuccessfully attempted to take control of the port at Balaclava—an important supply port for the British, French, and Turkish forces who were fighting in league against Russia” (Markley “An overview of ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’”). With access to information like this, Alfred had a supreme understanding of the events in the war, which translated into his writing. For instance, in verse three Tennyson says, “Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them” (Tennyson 18-20). This specific set of lines creates a vivid image of the situation for the reader, and that was Alfred’s goal. Readers can easily tell that the whole brigade was under extreme suppression by the Russian enemy. Tennyson then goes on to say in verse three, “Boldly they road and well, Into the jaws of Death” (Tennyson Lines 23-24). This just goes to show how determined the soldiers were to keep on pushing through the valley no matter what lay ahead of
All of the men involved with the Battle of Balaclava. Laurence Mazzeno makes an interesting argument that, “Because the charge of the light brigade was ill-conceived and futile, there may be some who would argue that the soldiers’ behavior was simply stupid; following orders that were known to be poorly developed, and which would lead to certain death, is hardly the mark of heroes. Tennyson argues that such thinking is wrongheaded. The mark of good soldiers is that they follow legitimate orders even if it means risking their lives” (Mazzeno “The Charge of the Light Brigade”). Some of the people that either read or hear this poem might think that the six hundred could have spared their own precious lives if they just used common sense, but every good solider is a better follower. Tennyson was trying to show readers’ that they could they could push through their own personal battles if they believe enough in what they were doing just like the Light Brigade did. All in all, the men knew that they had a challenge set before them and they were trained to do whatever it took to complete that