Charge Of The Light Brigade Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Charge Of The Light Brigade

Rating: 3.5

HALF a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns! ' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade! '
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
.

Charge Of The Light Brigade
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Cordell Rich 01 September 2008

The first poem I ever committed to memory. I love it.

37 13 Reply
Chris Howie 07 November 2014

A classic poem about the unfortunate losses that come from war. It highlights both the courage of the light brigade, and the foolishness of war. Those men, all because of a mistaken command, charged into the valley of death. The tone of the poem is one that honors those men but pulls no punches on the reality of death and war. It's not overly critical of the event itself, so to classify it as anti-war would be wrong, but it's fantastic nonetheless.

29 7 Reply
Dennis Field 29 June 2013

This is my all time favourite poem

22 11 Reply
Zak Pearce 04 November 2013

Inspired me to write a bit of war poetry! A brilliant classical piece, with brilliant structure. Beyond all doubt, my favourite poem.

19 11 Reply
Chinedu Dike 07 February 2015

Probably Lord Tennyson's best poem. Very well written, the rhyme scheme is nice and the story easy to understand. Overall, a beautiful poem penned with insight, a lovely piece of poetry. Thanks for sharing and Kudos. Please read my poem MANDELA - THE IMMORTAL ICON.

13 16 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 11 March 2024

EIGHT: This theme resonates beyond the Crimean Peninsula, reminding us of the relevance of individual soldiers' concerns when following questionable government policies.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 11 March 2024

SEVEN: Tennyson's work emphasizes that the errors of those in authority should not overshadow the gallantry of those asked to carry out military missions

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Sylvia Frances Chan 11 March 2024

SIX: Despite this, they marched toward the enemies and attacked them. The entire poem celebrates their loyalty and unwavering commitment to their nation.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 11 March 2024

FIVE: Loyalty and Patriotism: The soldiers knew their leader had mistakenly commanded the brigade to charge toward a stronger enemy with superior weapons

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 11 March 2024

FOUR: they carried out their duty, demonstrating that true bravery lies in doing what is required, even when it leads to almost certain death.

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