preview

Summary Of 'The Charge Of The Light Brigade At Balaklava'

Decent Essays

“The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava” by Lord Alfred Tennyson is a poem about the historical battle that took place between British and Russia during the Crimean War. Tennyson wrote the poem as a remembrance of the heroism and bravery the British soldiers showed during the battle. The poem is well known for its repetitive rhythm that is used to portray the sound of the charge. The repetition used in the poem widely affects the rhythm, emotion, and story being told. Without it, the poem could not have nearly portrayed the strength of the battle as well as it did.

This poem uses a technique known as "falling" rhythm. "Falling" rhythm is when the stress is on the first beat of the line, and then falls off for the remaining words. This can be deemed important because of the way it is a symbol for the fall of the British troops. Although the rhyme scheme changes throughout the poem, Tennyson uses very similar strategies within each stanza. He often rhymes the last word, and sometimes even uses the same final word for many line. For example, " When can their glory fade! / Oh the wild charge they made! / All the world wondered. / Honor the charge they made! / Honor the Light Brigade, / Noble six hundred!" Even though the stress is on the first beat, the last words of most of the lines rhyme, making the whole line seem strong and complete each time we read it. Notice how he uses the word made twice, and rhymes with that word 4 times. This helps the reader

Get Access