To answer an essay question on any poem, you must understand what it is about. This section includes:
- The poem in a nutshell
- An explanation of the poem, section-by-section
- An outline of Tennyson’s intention and message in each of these sections
'The Charge of the Light Brigade' in a nutshell
'The Charge of the Light Brigade' was first published in 1855 and tells the story of a battle during the Crimean War (1853–1856), in which a British cavalry unit, the “Light Brigade”, was ordered to charge down a narrow valley, straight into the gunfire from a Russian artillery unit. Nearly half the brigade was killed, wounded or captured. The poet, Tennyson, read a newspaper report about the battle, and published the poem just six weeks later. In the poem, he celebrates the heroism and sacrifice of the soldiers, but also criticises those in power who gave the order that caused so many deaths. The poem deals most obviously with the theme of conflict in war, but it also explores the inner conflict of following orders, even when they lead to almost certain death.
'The Charge of the Light Brigade' breakdown
Lines 1–8
“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.”
Explanation
- The speaker reveals the subject of the poem in this first stanza
- Six hundred soldiers on horses (the “Light Brigade”) rode for a mile and a half (“half a league”) into the valley of Death
- Their commander ordered them to charge forward towards the artillery
Tennyson’s intention
- Tennyson uses repetition of distance at the start of the poem to emphasise how far they have to go and how exposed and vulnerable the soldiers are
- The repetition also sets up the rhythm of the poem, which is like horses’ hooves galloping:
- This could suggest the relentless nature of the charge
- The number of men is repeated throughout the poem to commemorate and honour the soldiers of the Light Brigade
- Marching into the valley of Death is a biblical reference to Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;”:
- The poet here suggests that the men knew that they were potentially riding to their deaths
- But the biblical reference implies that the men may have taken comfort in their religious faith, and their belief that God was on their side
Lines 9–17
“‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.”
Explanation
- The commander repeats the order to advance
- Was any soldier discouraged or afraid? No, even though they knew that someone had made a mistake and that this was a suicide mission
- It wasn’t up to them to question their orders; their job was to follow those orders, even if this resulted in their deaths
- So the six hundred men rode into the valley of Death (the battle)
Tennyson’s intention
- In this stanza, Tennyson reveals the thoughts of the soldiers and their awareness that someone had made a mistake (“blunder’d”) that could cost them their lives
- However, their sense of duty meant that they did not feel it was their place to question or challenge their orders
- The use of the rhetorical question, “Was there a man dismay’d?”, suggests the soldiers’ doubt about their orders
- Their unquestioning sense of duty reflects the power those in charge had over whether the regular soldiers lived or died
Lines 18–26
“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.”
Explanation
- The men were completely surrounded by cannons and loud blasts
- They were bombarded by gunshots and artillery shells
- Even so, they continued to ride bravely into the mouth of Death and Hell itself
Tennyson’s intention
- The speaker of the poem tells the tale as someone who was there and saw it all happen:
- This lends a level of authenticity to the account
- The repetition of “cannon” implies that the men knew they were surrounded by the enemy army, but still they rode on bravely
- Tennyson is again commenting on the soldiers’ sense of duty, as well as their courage
- Death and Hell are personified as monsters that will devour the soldiers
Lines 27–38
“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.”
Explanation
- The soldiers raised their swords (“sabres”), which flashed in the light, into the air
- They charged into the enemy’s army and stabbed the soldiers, who were manning the guns:
- The whole world watched in amazement and confusion
- The soldiers plunged into the smoke from the guns and broke through the enemy lines
- The Cossack and Russian soldiers were overcome by the sabre attack, shattered and broken
- The Light Brigade rode back, but not all of them made it
Tennyson’s intention
- In this stanza, Tennyson reveals that while the army charged towards death, the rest of the world wondered why they were ordered to do so:
- Ironically, the only people not wondering were the soldiers themselves
- “Cossack and Russian” is a reference to the enemy soldiers who were fighting against the British army in the Crimean War
- At the end of this stanza, the speaker reveals that some soldiers did make it out alive
- History tells us that only about half of the men returned home from that battle
Lines 39–49
“Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the 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.”
Explanation
- Again, the speaker repeats the fact that the soldiers were surrounded by firing cannons
- Whilst many soldiers and horses died, they fought well and some of them survived
- That was all that was left of the six hundred who first set out
Tennyson’s intention
- The repetition of the image of the cannons emphasises the soldiers’ bravery and courage against all odds
- The speaker clearly finds it miraculous that any soldiers came back at all
Lines 50–55
“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!”
Explanation
- The speaker asks if their bravery will ever be forgotten, as the whole world is amazed by it
- The speaker then urges the reader to respect these brave and noble soldiers and what they did
Tennyson’s intention
- In this stanza, the speaker calls upon readers to honour and respect the six hundred men who rode at the Battle of Balaclava
- The rhetorical question, “When can their glory fade?” suggests both the fallen and the survivors would be forever remembered and honoured:
- This rhetorical device also alludes to the poem being a piece of propaganda
- This is reinforced by the imperative verb “honour”, demanding that the public honour the soldiers