POETRY | The Charge of the Light Bridgade Flashcards
Context
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1850-1892): Childhood and Education
* Had an abusive father, leaving his mother and children fearful.
* Received a good education from middle-class family and rich relatives.
* Served as poet laureate, glorifying war to defend aristocracy’s positions.
The Crimean War
* Initially a conflict between Russia and Ottomen empire.
* France and Britain intervened to prevent Russian expansion.
* Unpopular with British public due to its well-documented mistakes.
* Light brigade, often lower-class, were lightly armoured and on horseback.
Language
The phrase “valley of death” is a biblical allusion from Psalm 23 which refers to the protection provided by God so is highly ironic when used in this context
.This could be a criticism by Tennyson of how members of higher ranks should have protected those in the light brigade but they were instead forced to engage in dangerous conflict because of
their low status. This phrase can also be considered to symbolise the inevitability of the tragedy, the image of a valley implies that the soldiers are penned in and surrounded on all sides
by the opposition. The idea of soldiers returning “from the mouth of hell” links to the story of the harrying of hell.
Jesus went into hell in order to receive the souls of those who had been condemned there to allow them to achieve salvation. This relates back to the soldiers in that they were sacrificing their own freedom for the freedom of those back at home.
Form & Structure
- Ballad form: The poem uses a historic poetry form to commemorate the people who were killed.
- Dactylic dimeter: The poem mirrors the rhythm of a horse running into battle, suggesting soldiers are blindly obeying orders.
- Rhyme scheme: The poem uses an irregular rhyme scheme with couplets between indented lines, creating a sense of inevitability and chaos.
