As one participant stated, the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War was “the most magnificent assault known in military annals and the greatest blunder known to military tactics” (Greenspan). “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is a narrative poem set in 1854 that tells the story of a miscommunication which leads to six hundred soldiers becoming tragic heroes. In the Crimean War, the British troops were given a command that was distorted from the original message, and all six hundred of them trudged through firing on both sides to get through and fight the 25,000 Russians (Interesting Literature). The speaker tells the tragic tale of how honorable the men were for doing whatever they had to do to protect their loved ones, creating an aura of courage and glory.
In the first stanza of the poem, Tennyson sets the rhythm by using repetition to begin a
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For instance, it is shorter than the others. It also described less about their journey and more about the honor they earned. This is where the shift occurred in the poem. “What can their glory fade? / O the wild charge they made / All the world wondered” (50-52) refers more to how the world viewed them than the journey they went on. However, it also questions their involvement in the charge. The British Public is questioning as to why they went out on the charge when it was such an outrageous thing to do. The last few lines, though, are more focused on the worldly views after the charge was made and the soldiers were back. “Honour the charge they made! / Honour the Light Brigade / Noble six hundred!” (53-55). The last three lines are all filled with honor, and they contain most of the basis for the theme involved in the poem. They describe just how much honor and glory was owed to those soldiers for the noble deed they did in serving their country even when they knew it was going to cost their