In this episode of Beyond the Verse, the official podcast of PoemAnalysis.com and Poetry+, hosts Joe and Maiya examine Alfred Lord Tennyson's iconic war poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.' Written just weeks after the disastrous cavalry charge during the Crimean War in October 1854, this poem dramatically reshaped the Victorian cultural conversation around military sacrifice and heroism.
Joe and Maiya explore how Tennyson, as Poet Laureate, transformed a military blunder that initially embarrassed the British public into a testament of soldier bravery and noble sacrifice. They analyze how the poem's distinctive dactylic meter evokes galloping horses while creating a soundscape that immediately signals to readers that something has gone wrong, mirroring the disastrous charge itself.
The hosts unpack Tennyson's masterful techniques, including biblical allusions to "the valley of death," the mythic resonance of "the six hundred," and the use of natural imagery to elevate a military disaster into an epic, almost spiritual struggle. Through careful close reading, they reveal how Tennyson subtly criticizes military leadership while glorifying the common soldiers, setting a precedent for later war poetry.
Download exclusive PDFs on 'The Charge of the Light Brigade,' available to Poetry+ members:
Tune in and discover:
- How Tennyson wrote and published this influential poem just seven weeks after the actual military event
- Why the poem's metrical choices create a soundscape of battle
- How biblical and classical allusions elevate a military disaster into heroic sacrifice
- The connections between this Victorian poem and later World War I poetry
- The remarkable power of poetry to reshape national narratives around tragedy
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