The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a famous Crimean War poem extolling the virtue of following commands. It is a pro war poem which glorifies those who fight bravely.
This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Conflict Anthology, Pearson Edexcel’s GCSE Conflict Anthology or AQA’s GCSE Power and Conflict Anthology. For more study guides from this anthology, check out the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide.
The Charge of the Light Brigade
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What is 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' about?
Summary of stanza 1
In the opening stanza, 600 soldiers on horseback are riding towards an enemy. ‘Half a league’ is an old measure of distance, with a league being 3 miles. This brigade ride three half leagues, equating to approximately four and a half miles, into the ‘valley of Death’.
Summary of stanza 2
In stanza two, the Light Brigade was commanded forward towards the enemy. It is made clear that they knew ‘someone has blundered’ i.e. a mistake had been made, and these men were being sent into a terrible assault. The speaker of the poem makes clear that a soldier’s duty is to follow commands without asking why, which is what they all do.
Summary of stanza 3
In stanza three, the 600 men and horses of the Light Brigade have arrived at their target, the main front of the Russian attack. They are immediately under heavy assault from canons on both sides of the valley.
Summary of stanza 4
In stanza four, we get a vivid description of the battle. The Light Brigade use sabres to attack the Russian gunmen who were firing the cannons, achieving some success in breaking through the enemy lines. There is shock and surprise from the Russian army as the 600 break through, and also shock from the world watching on from a distance back home, hearing news via telegrams.
After this surge and break through, the Light Brigade turn back to get back, but not all of them. There had been many casualties already.
Summary of stanza 5
In stanza five, the Light Brigade have turned in the valley and, those alive, retreat back. They have suffered extremely heavy losses.
Summary of stanza 6
In stanza six, the poem comes to a close in praise of the men who died. They are remembered as honourable and courageous for the rest of history. Tennyson ensures they have a place in history and are celebrated, rather than viewed as victims of a mistaken command.
Context of 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'
Alfred, Lord Tennyson's life, education and career
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was an important Victorian poet. He served as poet laureate from 1850 until his death in 1892. This makes him the longest-serving poet laureate in British history. More recently, poet laureates have served for a ten-year period, with notable figures such as Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage taking up the post.
Tennyson was born in Lincoln, England in 1809. His parents had some wealth and land, and Tennyson had access to a good education, first at King Edward VI Grammar School, and then at Trinity College, Cambridge. Young Alfred wrote poetry from his teen years along with his brothers, and later at Cambridge, he continued to write. In 1829, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal for his poem ‘Timbuktu’, and he continued to write and publish poems for the rest of his life.
Tennyson’s works frequently delve into themes of nature, love, and the complexities of the human condition. Notable for his melancholic tone, he often contemplated the societal and technological changes characteristic of the Victorian era. Indeed, after the death of her husband, Queen Victoria read and took comfort from his poem ‘In Memoriam AHH’ (dedicated to his good friend and poet Arthur Hallam). In 1850, he was appointed to the post of Poet Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth. Other poems readers may well be familiar with include Ulysses and The Lady of Shallot.
Context of War in 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'
During Tennyson’s early years, the Napoléonic Wars were taking place in France and throughout Europe (1799-1815). This 5-minute video is a great explainer of Napoléon’s life and the impact of the Napoléonic Wars.
The Crimean War (1853-1856)
Our poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade, was written in 1855. In it, Tennyson praises the group of men who lost their lives in one particularly ill-fated attack of the Crimean War. Here is another great explainer for those unfamiliar with the context and overview of the Crimean War.
Crimea continues to be a sought-after piece of land, and at the time of writing this article, Russia and Ukraine are at war over Crimea (annexed by Russia in 2014) and other territories in Ukraine.
The Light Brigade
The Crimean War was fought between October 1853 and February 1856. During this time, it is estimated that over 25,000 British, 100,000 French and a million Russian soldiers died.
The Crimean War is also important as it was widely written about in British press. Newspapers carried eye-witness statements and reporters at the front line were able to make use of new technology in the form of telegrams, meaning updates from the front were timely and impactful. These often horrifying reports in the news inspired many to join the war effort, most famously Florence Nightingale.
Often, news reports included the grim reality of war and the failures of those in command. This is the situation, during the Battle of Balaclava, which forms the basis of the poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.
There is some great information available at the British Online Archive on William Howard Russell and his part in the Crimean War, making it ‘the first mass media war’. You can read more by clicking this link.
The Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava was a pivotal engagement during the Crimean War on 25th October 1854. A misunderstood command led to the death of many soldiers involved the Light Brigade, a British cavalry unit.
During the battle, the British commander, Lord Raglan, issued an order for the Light Brigade to charge the Russian artillery positions. However, due to unclear communication and misinterpretation, the order was perceived differently by the brigade’s commander, Lord Cardigan. Instead of attacking the intended target, the Light Brigade advanced into a valley surrounded by enemy forces, exposing themselves to devastating fire from both sides.
The 600 soldiers mentioned in Tennyson’s poem refers to the approximate number of men in the Light Brigade. The charge turned into a heroic but futile endeavour, resulting in a high number of casualties. The miscommunication and the subsequent tragic charge became emblematic of military blunders and the courage of soldiers facing seemingly insurmountable odds. The Battle of Balaclava and the Charge of the Light Brigade remain significant events in military history, symbolising the harsh realities of war and the sacrifices made by those who serve.
An extract from William Russell Howard's report from Balaclava, published in The Times:
At 11:00 our Light Cavalry Brigade rushed to the front… The Russians opened on them with guns from the redoubts on the right, with volleys of musketry and rifles.
They swept proudly past, glittering in the morning sun in all the pride and splendor of war. We could hardly believe the evidence of our senses. Surely that handful of men were not going to charge an army in position? Alas! It was but too true — their desperate valour knew no bounds, and far indeed was it removed from its so-called better part — discretion. They advanced in two lines, quickening the pace as they closed towards the enemy. A more fearful spectacle was never witnessed than by those who, without the power to aid, beheld their heroic countrymen rushing to the arms of sudden death.
…
The first line was broken — it was joined by the second, they never halted or checked their speed an instant. With diminished ranks, thinned by those thirty guns, which the Russians had laid with the most deadly accuracy, with a halo of flashing steel above their heads, and with a cheer which was many a noble fellow’s death cry, they flew into the smoke of the batteries; but ere they were lost from view, the plain was strewed with their bodies and with the carcasses of horses.
…
Through the clouds of smoke we could see their sabers flashing as they rode up to the guns and dashed between them, cutting down the gunners as they stood.
…
Wounded men and dismounted troopers flying towards us told the sad tale — demigods could not have done what they had failed to do. At the very moment when they were about to retreat, a regiment of lancers was hurled upon their flank.
…
It was as much as our Heavy Cavalry Brigade could do to cover the retreat of the miserable remnants of that band of heroes as they returned to the place they had so lately quitted in all the pride of life.
At 11:35 not a British soldier, except the dead and dying, was left in front of those bloody Muscovite guns …
Line-by-line analysis
Stanza 1
Half a league, half a league,
- Rhyme scheme: ABCBDEFGB
- The repetition of ‘half a league, half a league,/ Half a league onwards’ opens the poem ‘in medias res‘ i.e. in the middle of things. This exciting opening launches the reader straight into the action.
- Alliteration in the repetition of the ‘h’ sound creates a driving rhythm, and emphasises how far they have travelled.
Half a league onward,
- The repetition of ‘half a league’, combined with the dactylic dimeter (see rhythm section below), is designed to mimic the sound of the horses gallop, creating a fast pace and a sense of speed and urgency.
All in the valley of Death
- The ‘valley of Death’ is a reference/allusion to Psalm 23 in the Old Testament, a well-known poem which begins ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ and continues ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou are with me.’ (Psalm 23:4). This biblical reference serves two purposes: firstly, there is dramatic irony in that, by calling it the Valley of Death, the reader already knows this will be the place where the 600 die. Secondly, despite the negative outcome, it reinforces the message of the poem that God, or a higher power, is with them to give strength and courage. Yes, they are being sent off to die, but this is a brave and heroic mission, glorified through the Biblical allusion.
Rode the six hundred.
- This line is repeated, either exactly, or in a slight variation, throughout the poem as a refrain. It serves as a way of emphasising the size of the loss of these men, in calling them ‘the six hundred’.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
- The use of direct speech also adds immediacy, helping the reader to immerse themselves in the action. The speaker, ‘he’ is not specifically revealed, creating curiosity.
Charge for the guns!” he said.
- Exclamation marks here and in the previous line add emotion and intensity.
Into the valley of Death
- The metaphor of the ‘valley of Death’ is used again here, to emphasise the danger the men are in, and to emphasise the magnitude of their sacrifice, as Biblically heroic.
Rode the six hundred.
- Repetition of this refrain again reinforces the action of the poem.
Stanza 2
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
- Rhyme scheme: AABCDDDEB
- Stanza two echoes the language of stanza one, with the voice of a commanding officer charging them ‘Forward’ and again, the direct speech adds immediacy and action.
Was there a man dismayed?
- The rhetorical question in line two encourages the reader to question this military action. The reader can question what the subject of the poem cannot: ‘their’s not to reason why.’
Not though the soldier knew
- This line introduces the dramatic irony of the poem (dramatic irony, as this poem is so well known that reader already knows the end is bleak, despite the fact that it has not yet been revealed).
Someone had blundered.
- Dramatic irony is furthered here in that the reader is told of the errors of the commanding officer before the consequences are revealed.
Their's not to make reply,
- The triplet of ‘Their’s not to make reply,/ Their’s not to reason why,/ Their’s but to do and die/’ echoes the triplet repetition of the opening stanza.
Their's not to reason why,
- Anaphora (repetition of ‘Theirs’ at the start of the each line) helps to create the driving rhythm of the horses hooves and the sense of the charge.
Their's but to do and die.
- Alliteration of ‘do and die’ adds a heavy tone of doom
Into the valley of Death
- The sense of action is emphasised through the syntax here, in putting ‘Into the valley of Death’ at the start of the sentence.
Rode the six hundred.
- The first three stanzas repeat ‘Rose the six hundred’ at the end of the verse. This use of epistrophe adds structure and a dark sense of finality.
Stanza 3
Cannon to right of them,
- Rhyme scheme: AAABCCDCB
Cannon to left of them,
- Stanza three again echoes the triplet anaphora structure used in the first two stanzas, with the repetition of ‘Cannon to right of them,/ Cannon to left of them,/ Cannon in front of them/’ (see the ‘analysis of rhythm‘ section below for more on this). This driving rhythm recreates the sound of the horses hooves.
Cannon in front of them
- The harsh ‘c’ sound in ‘cannon’ is repeated, mimicking the sound of the gun fire.
Volleyed and thundered;
- Active verbs are used in this line to add drama to the line.
- The heavy consonance of ‘volleyed and thundered‘ also adds action and noise.
Stormed at with shot and shell,
- Sibilance is used in line four (stormed/shot/sheel), creating the auditory and visual effect of the whizzing of the cannons.
Boldly they rode and well,
- The adverb ‘boldly’ adds emotive bias to the poem: the speaker clearly leads the reader to interpret the following of commands as bold and brave, rather than any other interpretation.
Into the jaws of Death,
- In this stanza, the valley is further described, this time using personification: it has jaws and a mouth. The effect is to make it seem like a monster consuming this heroic band of 600 men, intensifying the danger they are in.
Into the mouth of hell
- Personification is developed further describing hell with a mouth, adding to the helplessness of these soldiers riding towards it.
Rode the six hundred.
- This stanza ends in the same way as the previous two: with the repeated refrain and the end stop.
Stanza 4
Flashed all their sabres bare,
- Rhyme scheme: AAABCDDEDCFD
- Stanzas four and five are the longest of the poem, representing a climax not only in length but in action. In these two stanzas, most of the action and the deaths take place.
- The fricative and sibilant sounds of the ‘f’ and ‘s’ sounds in ‘Flashed’ and ‘sabres’ create a sense of rapid movement and action.
Flashed as they turned in air
- Stanza four feels like slow-motion movements are used: the British cavalrymen are described as turning in the air and charging hopelessly while news reports are sent home of this ill-fated charge.
- The imagery in this line vividly depicts the soldiers swiftly turning in mid-air, suggesting their acrobatic skill and fearlessness in battle.
Sabring the gunners there,
- Action verbs such as ‘flashed’ ‘sabring’, ‘charging’, ‘plunged’, ‘reeled’, ‘shattered’ and ‘sundered’ all tell of the intensity and physicality of this battle.
- The imagery of soldiers sabring the gunners conveys the chaos and violence of the battle, as the Light Brigade engages directly with enemy artillery units.
Charging an army, while
- This line paints a picture of the Light Brigade boldly charging toward the enemy army, underscoring their bravery and determination.
- The conjunction ‘while’ juxtaposes the danger of the charge with the passive astonishment of those waiting for news back in Britain.
All the world wondered.
- Hyperbole is used in the phrase ‘All the world’ to exaggerate the extent of the public interest, emphasising the global impact and significance of the Light Brigade’s charge.
- ‘The world’ is personified in this line, as ‘wondered’ attributes human characteristics to the world.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
- The ‘battery-smoke’ represents the fog of war, obscuring the soldiers’ vision and adding to the atmosphere of confusion and danger.
- This confusion is emphasised by the onomatopoeic verb ‘plunged’ which creates a very sensory description.
Right through the line they broke;
- The active verb ‘broke’ symbolises the Light Brigade’s defiance of overwhelming odds and their willingness to press forward despite the danger.
Cossack and Russian
- The mention of specific enemy groups, ‘Cossack and Russian’, adds historical context and specificity to the narrative, highlighting the adversaries faced by the Light Brigade.
- Consonance in this line creates a sense of rhythm and emphasises the distinct identities of the enemy forces.
Reeled from the sabre stroke
- The phrase ‘sabre stroke’ metaphorically represents the decisive blows delivered by the soldiers, suggesting the swift and lethal nature of their assaults.
- The action is intensified by the sibilance of ‘sabre stroke’
Shattered and sundered.
- Sibilance continues on the next line in the two verbs ‘shattered and sundered’
Then they rode back, but not
- The final lines convey the tragedy of the battle, as only a fraction of the original brigade survived the onslaught, underscoring the cost of valour and the brutality of war.
Not the six hundred.
- Repetition of ‘not/ Not the six hundred’ at the end of the stanza slows the action down, giving a sense of the futility of the battle, and highlighting the grim fact that many didn’t make it out of the initial confrontation with the Russian army.
Stanza 5
Cannon to right of them,
- Stanza five offers a reversal of stanza three, with the repetition of the first three lines making it clear that the cavalry is doing the opposite of their charge forwards in stanza three. As in stanza three, there is anaphora in the opening word ‘Cannon’ on the first three lines, and epistrophe in the word ‘them’.
Cannon to left of them,
- Alliteration in the repetition of the ‘c’ sound in ‘cannon’ reinforces the sense of encirclement and danger, and the pervasive threat the soldiers face from the enemy artillery.
Cannon behind them
- The cannons are also positioned behind the soldiers, indicating that they are surrounded by enemy artillery.
Volleyed and thundered;
- The active verbs ‘volleyed and thundered’ are repeated exactly from stanza 3, adding to the reversal of the action from before. The tone and repetition enhance the menacing nature of these cannons.
- Onomatopoeia in ‘thundered’ imitates the sound of the cannons firing, adding to the auditory imagery of the battlefield.
Stormed at with shot and shell,
- We learn that both the men and the horses suffered through the parallelisms of lines five and six: ‘Stormed at with shot and shell,/ While horse and hero fell’. The sibilance of ‘shot and shell’, and the rhyme of ‘shell’ and ‘hell’ create strong sound effects, drawing attention to the visual and auditory imagery of the lines.
While horse and hero fell.
- Alliteration in the repetition of the ‘h’ sound in ‘horse’ and ‘hero’ draws attention to the tragic loss of both animals and brave soldiers.
- The juxtaposition of ‘horse’ and ‘hero’ emphasises the indiscriminate nature of the casualties, whether human or animal.
They that had fought so well
- There is irony in the praise of their valour, which contrasts sharply with the dire situation they find themselves in, highlighting the tragic irony of their circumstances.
Came through the jaws of Death,
- Each line is a reversal of the previous charge: they had come back from ‘the jaws of Death,/ Back from the mouth of hell’ in their retreat, except with heavy losses.
Back from the mouth of hell,
- Similar to the previous line, the battlefield is described with a metaphor, as ‘the mouth of hell’, evoking images of infernal chaos and destruction.
- Hyperbole is used to describe the battlefield as hell emphasising the extreme horror and suffering experienced by the soldiers.
All that was left of them,
- This line is highly emotive: there were very few of them left, emphasised through the repetition of ‘left’.
Left of six hundred.
- The end stop at the end of the line and verse creates a long pause, allowing the reader a moment to prepare for the final verse.
Stanza 6
When can their glory fade?
- Stanza six opens with another rhetorical question, elevating these men to immortal status.
- The hyperbole ‘glory’ emphasises the lasting impact of the Light Brigade’s charge, suggesting that their heroic deeds will be remembered forever.
O the wild charge they made!
- Line two opens with ‘O’, highlighting the emotion Tennyson feels.
- Describing the charge as ‘wild’ evokes images of chaos and daring, highlighting the courage of the Light Brigade.
All the world wondered.
- This line repeats a phrase from an earlier verse, emphasising the global astonishment at the soldiers’ bravery and audacity.
- The alliteration of ‘world wondered’ adds impact to the sense of astonishment.
Honour the charge they made!
- Anaphora is used again in lines four and five with the command for the reader to ‘honour’ these men.
Honour the Light Brigade,
- Similar to the previous line, this repetition emphasises the importance of honouring the entire Light Brigade, not just individual soldiers.
Noble six hundred!
- The epithet in the final line describes the soldiers as ‘noble’, conveying a sense of honour and dignity.
- The poem finishes with an exclamation mark, adding a final stroke of emotion.
Analysis of form and structure in 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'
Verse structure
The Charge of the Light Brigade is written in six stanzas of unequal length.
It has no fixed form, although there are elements of the ballad form in its narrative style.
The poem tells a story in chronological order.
There are patterns, such as intense repetition, repeated rhyme sounds at the end of lines (although not regularly in their pattern), anaphora, parallelism, etc. But with no fixed form or regular verse structure, the poem has an irregular form.
Perhaps this irregularity in verse structure and rhyme scheme reflects the chaos and irregularity of the battle the Light Brigade entered.
Rhyme
The Charge of the Light Brigade uses dactylic dimeter, creating a rousing, fast pace.
Dactylic means that there are three syllables in each foot (this is ususual, as most metric feet have two syllables). The dactylic pattern means that in the three syllables, the first syllable is stressed (or emphasised), followed by two unstressed syllables. It sounds like DUM DE DE/DUM DE DE etc. Let’s look at some examples of this from The Charge of the Light Brigade:
Cannon to / right of them
Cannon to / left of them
Cannon in / front of them
In this example, the stressed syllables are in bold, and the / symbol shows the division between each dactylic foot.
The pattern of DUM DE DE, DUM DE DE, creates the horses’ hooves thundering through the valley.
Rhythm
The rhyme scheme is irregular, partially due to the fact that the verses are irregular in length, making it difficult for regularity in the rhyme. In spite of this irregularity, there are strong repeating rhyme sounds. For example, ‘shell’, ‘well’, ‘hell’ or ‘reply’, ‘why’ and ‘die’. In addition, repeated words create echoes within each verse, such as ‘hundred’ used more than once, or ‘them’ used three times within one verse.
The repeated sounds serve multiple purposes. They echo the sound of the military confrontation, with cannons firing and horses and many other sounds of battle. In addition, the sounds create structure, helping to push the driving rhythm of the poem. Lastly, the sound of full rhymes provides a more upbeat tone, diminishing the tragedy of the charge and increasing the sense that this charge was glorious and heroic.
Themes in 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'
Duty
Duty is a prevailing theme in The Charge of the Light Brigade, with Tennyson’s message clear: those who step up and follow orders are brave and courageous. The poem focuses on the bravery and heroism of the 600, rather than the blunder made, or the futility of the charge.
Death
The Charge of the Light Brigade is overwhelmingly fatal: the noble 600 are sent into a confrontation they cannot survive. The location of the battle is referred to as the ‘valley of Death’. Despite this, death is painted as honourable and glorious, not anything to be explained away or shrouded in shame.
Quiz
Quiz on ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’
Test your knowledge of the poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Comprehension Questions:
- What real-life event is being described in the poem ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’?
- What challenges did the soldiers face during their charge?
- Describe the attitude of the soldiers as they faced overwhelming odds.
- How does the poet use language, rhythm and repetition to convey the chaos and violence of the battlefield?
- In what ways does Tennyson use sound devices such as alliteration and onomatopoeia to enhance the reader’s experience of the poem? Provide examples to support your answer.
- Why do you think the poet emphasises the bravery and valour of the soldiers?
- How does the poet explore the theme of honour and sacrifice in the poem?
- What message or lesson do you think the poet is trying to convey through ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’?
- Discuss the significance of the final stanza of the poem. How does it contribute to the overall message or theme?
- What poem from your anthology would you select to compare and contrast with ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’?
Vitai Lampada, like The Charge of the Light Brigade, glorifes the cause of war and the men who sacrifice themselves. Both poems are written by poets from home rather than by soldiers themselves, so it could be argued their perspective is over simplified. Both poems use imagery of death and hell to show the horrifying nature of the battles the men took part in. While these poems are similar in their tone and attitudes to war, there are notable differences in their form, structure, rhythm and rhyme schemes, and so there is plenty for students to contrast.
In complete contrast to ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, Owen’s ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth‘ is anti-war. Owen uses the form of the sonnet to lament the loss of soldiers at war, and to describe the insufficient ways in which the war-dead are remembered at home by the church and the state. There is much for students to contrast in the message, the form and the language choices in these two poems.
Who’s for the Game? is pro-war propaganda, used to encourage young men to enlist. Pope’s simplistic, sports imagery is a clear contrast to the action of The Charge of the Light Brigade, however, the pro-war message is evident in both.
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