The Charge of the Light Brigade Poem

The Charge of the Light Brigade Poem

The narrative poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by the famous poet Alfred Lord Tennyson was published in the year 1854 in a weekly paper “The Examiner”. This poem was written mainly in response to one of the battles that took place at the time of the Crimean War. In this poem, the poet appreciated the bravery of the cavalrymen who sacrifice themselves to fulfill their duties even when they are certain that their actions might lead to death.

The theme of the poem

The poem deals with a number of themes that would be discussed in detail within this essay. The predominant theme in this poem is that of bravery, sacrifice, and duty as the poem mainly celebrates the sacrifice made by the cavalry and how they bravely charged during the war in spite of knowing that their actions could get them killed. The poet in this writing believed that the selfless sacrifice made by the cavalrymen raised them to the level of being a hero.

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The Charge of the Light Brigade Summary & Analysis

As per the poet, heroism requires bravery and alongside that, it also requires the understanding of duty which this cavalry knew very well. They went on to perform their duty irrespective of what the results might be. They were well aware of their defeat and this is made from the very beginning of the poem through the line, “cannon to the right of them, / Cannon to the left of them, / Cannon in front of them.”

This shows how they were surrounded by weapons and all they had in their possession were swords that could not withstand the heavy guns. They had to travel a long distance to even distract the soldiers on the other side. Their attack was simply foolish at that point of time as the death of these cavalrymen was certain in case they decide to attack and the poet was clearly scared as he says that the soldiers went “into the jaws of death / Into the mouth of hell”.

The soldiers would walk towards their own death if they decide to continue with the mission as the opponent was very well equipped with advanced machinery which would help them in blowing off the entire cavalry at once. It was clearly a suicidal mission with no means of return if they decide to go down the suicidal path. The poet makes his fear extremely clear through his words in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’essay writing.

The poet suggests that the cavalry was well aware of the fact that they are doomed even before they decide to charge their enemy. They knew that there was no hope of them winning but the chances of them losing their life even before reaching their opponent were extremely high. Despite knowing the end of their actions, they still decide to continue with their initial plan.

They were well aware of the fact that there was some mistake done by someone which led them to this situation, "the soldier knew / Someone had blundered”. They understand the fact that the whole idea of charging was wrong and the judgement was a result of severe miscalculation. The soldiers knew that they were paying the price for the mistake done by some person by giving away their life and this might not be clear to the commander.

In general, the cavalry would have protested against charging knowing that this was all a mistake and suicidal but the author notes that none of the cavalrymen said a word against this mistake and instead prepared themselves to do the best they can. They never mention the blunder and overlook the fact that they were about to die, only to perform their duty successfully.

Being so close to death and knowing that death would engulf them as soon as they set on their journey, it is expected that the soldier would be scared or hesitant. But in reality, none of the soldiers seems to be bothered about the same. There is no sight of fear or being demotivated at any point. They are rather seen to be confident and positive about fulfilling their duty and serving their part in the war. The author is in complete awe of their bravery and sacrifice. He thoroughly admires the spirit of these soldiers and it is possible for this reason that he raises them to the level of being heroes in the war.

The soldiers are very respectful of their position in the military ranking and they understand the responsibility that has been entrusted to them. It is for this reason they do not want to turn back or leave their task incomplete. It is their duty to carry out the orders that are given to them without asking questions or objecting at any point. It is their duty and they would complete it anyway, “Theirs not to make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die.”.

The poet celebrates two aspects with respect to the soldiers. The first is their bravery and sacrifice as they walk into a suicidal mission without any selfish motive and despite being certain that they would die. The second is their commitment and dedication towards their job which is why they never back away from stepping onto the field without blaming any person for their current predicament. The poet in fact blames the commander who led an entire cavalry into this suicidal mission without proper evaluation.

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“The Charge of the Light Brigade” Conclusion

It can thus be concluded that the soldiers were led onto the suicidal mission due to the mistake committed by the commander. It is because of his miscalculation that the cavalrymen laned into a position where they were expected to fight against advanced guns with swords. The poet appreciated the spirit of these soldiers who decided to continue with the charge knowing the fact they would die even before they could reach their enemy. It is their bravery and selfless attitude that the poet appreciated through this poem. The soldiers were also aware of their duty and responsibility. The author for this reason raises the soldiers to the level of a hero.

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