Writing the Real World: Tennyson's 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'

May 9, 2025

Dive into Tennyson's 'The Charge of the Light Brigade,' a poem that transformed a military blunder into a testament of heroism. Explore how Tennyson's dactylic meter mimics galloping horses, signaling disaster. Unpack biblical allusions and the mythic idea of 'the six hundred' that elevates ordinary soldiers into epic figures. The hosts delve into Tennyson's subtle criticism of military leadership and how the poem reshaped public perception of sacrifice. Discover connections to World War I poets and the powerful imagery of bravery amidst overwhelming odds.

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INSIGHT

Tennyson’s Cultural Authority

Tennyson became Poet Laureate in 1850 and held enormous cultural authority during the Crimean War.
That status amplified the impact of The Charge of the Light Brigade when published in 1854.

ANECDOTE

Rapid Response To A Real Event

The actual charge occurred on 25 October 1854 and Tennyson read about it in The Times on 13 November.
He then wrote the poem on 2 December and published it on 9 December 1854, within seven weeks of the event.

INSIGHT

Meter as Movement and Alarm

Tennyson uses dactylic dimeter to mimic horse galloping and create relentless forward motion.
The meter also unsettles readers by stressing the first syllable, signalling that something is wrong.

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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.

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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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