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Analysis Of The Charge Of The Light Brigade

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The Charge of the Light Brigade by Tennyson "The charge of the light brigade" by Tennyson was written about a disastrous military escapade during the Crimean war. The Crimean war was fought between Russia on one hand and Britain, France and Turkey on the other. The charge of the light brigade occurred in November 1854 at Balaclava in the Crimea. The Earl of Cardigan led the charge, and some six hundred cavalrymen took part in it. The brave 600 rode straight down a valley that was fortified at its end by many cannon served by Russian and Cossack gunners. The heroes were following confused orders from higher military authority as the rode into this "valley of death." Tennyson was appointed Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria in 1850, a job …show more content…

The instructions given seem incredibly stupid, "Charge for the guns! He said;" Because it is obvious to the reader that there is no way that a brigade of horseback soldiers will be able to compete when faced with cannons. These instructions seem completely irrational, with the results only able to be horrific losses to the Light Brigade. The semi colon at the end of the line is there to allow the reader a pause to take in this shocking instruction. Verse two begins by repeating the instruction to go forth into the valley. It is followed by the rhetorical question "Was there a man dismay'd?" The command is described only as a "blunder", as though it isn't that big a mistake. Tennyson doesn't use a very explicit word in his criticism, very possibly because as poet laureate it was part of his job to show the establishment in the best possible light, irrelevant to the situation. Unquestioning loyalty to the empire is expected from the soldiers, it wasn't seen as their place to question or challenge orders given to them from higher ranks, " Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why" A sense of foreboding is created with,"Theirs to do and die", But the emphasis is on their unstoppable courage and their willingness to die for their country. The repeated patterning of the use of "theirs" to start three consecutive rows is done to emphasise the position in which the soldiers have found themselves, and the sacrifice they will have to make.

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