The Charge of the Light Brigade (p.615)

I really enjoyed reading this poem because it gave me a sense of encouragement. The Charge of the Light Brigade tells the story of 600 soldiers who rode on horseback into the “valley of death” (line 3) for half a league (which is about one and a half miles) to charge their enemy. Even though all the soldiers realized that their commander made a mistake: “Someone had blundered.” (line 12)  None of the soldiers complained or were discouraged; they were brave. They obeyed and were  “not to make reply/ Their’s not to reason why,/ Their’s but to do and die:” (lines 13&14) they followed orders.

            Gallantry and glory are often bestowed on heroes.  The difference between a hero and a fool is often in the eye of the beholder.  In this poem, the six hundred heroic soldiers who charged on in the face of death knew full well that their mission was a fatal one.  Their dedication to duty in the face of that brought them glory that was the inspiration for this poem.  Their death brought them immortality through the re-telling of their exploits.

            The Persian defeat of the Spartans at Thermopylae has been re-told many times and the fatal mission of the Spartan soldiers brought them similar glory.  The bravery of a cadre of men outnumbered by their enemy and overmatched in their might would have been a sufficient reason to retreat and flee.  That did not happen at Thermopylae and it did not happen in Tennyson’s story of his soldiers.  The intelligence of a retreat would not have been the proper backdrop for a story of bravery and heroism.

 This poem is based on actual events during the Crimean War when the British cavalry misunderstood orders and made a charge upon the batteries of Russian artillery. There are many times when it is hard to blindly trust someone, especially when you do not think they are right. It takes true courage to follow someone into battle and even more courage and bravery to go into a battle when you know you are outnumbered. In the last few lines of the poem Tennyson tells the reader to “Honour the charge they made!/ Honour the Light Brigade,/ Noble six hundred!” (lines 53-55)  We honor our heroes in many ways and it made me think that Tennyson wasn’t speaking about each of his readers entering a battle of life or death.  I think Tennyson was reminding his readers that each person has a role in life and often that role is contingent upon a hierarchy.  If the mission is daunting and the prospects are dim, we must remember our role and how our dedication to that mission will be viewed.  Honor and glory are lasting traits that can be sacrificed in an instant.  Many of the six hundred sacrificed their lives but lived on as an example that carried many people through difficult times.  The re-telling of Tennyson’s poem during the dark days of England’s struggle during World War II no doubt carried many a scared soldier to complete his mission.  In that way, Tennyson was instructing us that completing our mission with focused determination often has a benefit that will last longer than our lives and will have greater impact after our death than we could have had while living.