Charge of the Light Brigade Research Proposal

Total Length: 922 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

Page 1 of 3

The chaplain at the military hospital in Scutari wrote that the patients were "singing it and all want to have it in black and white, so as to read what has so taken them" (112). Francis O'Gorman notes that Tennyson focuses on "vivid male action, on movement and pace . . . finding heroism amid what it constructs as dreadful failure" (O'Gorman 166). O'Gorman is careful to point out that the poem is "careful to accept error but not to be specific about blame" (166). This poem illustrates the power of the written word in that we see how powerful it can be. Men were moved to a better place because of this poem and others were brought to understanding.

"The Charge of the Light Brigade" is an interesting poem because it is a poem about a mistake and it demonstrates how mistakes have lasting impacts. I enjoyed the poem because of this fact. While there are many poems and stories about war, this one takes a look at a specific event that was not glorious. In fact, the mistake was deadly and I believe Tennyson's ability not to place blame is an important aspect of mot just the poem but the poet. Tennyson looks at the situation for what it is and realizes that blame would not undo the damages that had been done. I think a poem about war in the form of a ballad is a nice twist and I enjoy how this poem reads.
I also like how Tennyson repeats certain things as if to keep reminding us of what was happening at this moment in history. This is not just a poem about war, it is a poem about a tragic mistake and it reminds me of that fact that we are all simply human and mistakes happen. However, the bravery of the soldiers in this moment in history remains the beauty of this poem. They knew they were walking into the jaws of death and even though the orders to charge might have seemed ridiculous, they marched ahead and did what they were called to do. I do not know if I could have done the same thing if I had been in their situation. Because of that, this poem is more than a poem; it is an historical account that promises to honor those who lost their lives because of someone else's mistake.

Works Cited

Markley, Arnold. "An overview of The Charge of The Light Brigade." Poetry for Students.

1997. GALE Resource Database. Information Retrieved June 3, 2009.

Henderson, Philip. Tennyson, Poet and Prophet. New York: Routledge Publishing. 1978.

O'Gorman, Francis. Victorian Poetry. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell.….....

Need Help Writing Your Essay?