Charge of the Light Brigade

Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" is an 1854narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson about the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battleof Balaclava during the Crimean War.

The poem has a strong rhythm.For example "half a league, half a league" two light beatsfollowed by a heavy beat expresses the sound of the horses galloping.There are six numbered stanzas, as if each stanza is a memorial stone to 100 of the 600cavalrymen. The length of the stanzas reflect the structure of the story.

- the Light Brigade is approaching the guns.There is a strong structure. Three lines (of three six-to-seven syllables) are followed bya shorter line (five syllables: "rode the six hundred"). This pattern suggests the strongformation in which the cavalry charge.

The Light Brigade has engaged the enemy so the longer stanzas describethe struggle. The structure starts to break down. The rhythm of stanza four, for example,is broken by four shorter lines, while stanza five has only two short lines (lines 42 and 48).The desperate attempt to retreat is expressed in the run of six longer lines (43-48).

Is a short, sharp conclusion written as if they are the lines we should rememberthe Light Brigade by.Language and ImageryThe language of the poem is understandably military: guns, soldiers, cannon, sabres andgunners set the scene. The power of the poem, however, comes from the careful use ofimagery and sound effects.

The strong central image of the "valley of Death" (lines 3,7 and 16) refers to a well-knownpoem in the bible - Psalm 23 - about the 'valley of the shadow of death'. By using thisBiblical allusion, Tennyson shows how important the event is.

Tennyson uses a wide variety of techniques to provide the poem with highly effective soundeffects. Alliteration, for example, is used to express the sounds of battle. Note the soundof bullets in line 22 ("shot and shell").The poem has a strong rhythm.For example "half a league, half a league" two light beatsfollowed by a heavy beat expresses the sound of the horses galloping.