Tennyson's Charge Of The Light Brigade

Tennysonscharge Of Thelight Brigade Tennyson Charge Of The Light

Analyze and compare Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" and Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est," focusing on their portrayal of war, the themes conveyed, and the literary techniques used to evoke emotion and perspective. Discuss how each poet challenges or reinforces perceptions of warfare, heroism, and sacrifice, and examine the impact of historical context on their messages. Incorporate specific references to the texts and relevant historical background to support your analysis.

Paper For Above instruction

The poetry of war has long served as a powerful means of reflection, critique, and memorialization. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s "Charge of the Light Brigade" and Wilfred Owen’s "Dulce et Decorum Est" are two seminal works that, despite differing contexts and tones, provide compelling insights into the realities, perceptions, and consequences of warfare. Analyzing these poems reveals contrasting perspectives on heroism and the brutal cost of war, shaped by their respective historical backgrounds and poetic techniques.

Historical Context and Authorial Perspectives

Tennyson’s "Charge of the Light Brigade," written in 1854, commemorates a tragic cavalry charge during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War.commissioned as a memorial, the poem exalts the bravery and unquestioning obedience of soldiers, emphasizing their noble sacrifice amid a disastrous military blunder. The poem’s tone is reverent and patriotic, often portraying war as a noble pursuit where soldiers act honorably ("Honor the charge they made! / Honor the Light Brigade, / Noble six hundred!"). Tennyson, acting as a court poet and official chronicler, tended to romanticize the heroism of soldiers, encapsulating the Victorian ideals of duty and sacrifice, even in the face of evident misjudgment and slaughter.

In stark contrast, Wilfred Owen’s "Dulce et Decorum Est," written during World War I (1917), satirizes the glorification of war that was prevalent during the earlier era. Owen, a soldier and prolific war poet, experienced the horrors of trench warfare firsthand, and his poem vividly depicts the grotesque physical and psychological toll of modern combat. Unlike Tennyson’s celebratory tone, Owen’s tone is visceral and harrowing, exposing the horrors that lie behind the patriotic veneer. The poem’s bitter conclusion—calling the old lie "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (It is sweet and proper to die for one’s country)—is a direct denunciation of the patriotic propaganda that encouraged young men to enlist, often at great expense.

Literary Techniques and Emotional Impact

Both poets utilize vivid imagery and diction to evoke emotional responses aligned with their messages. Tennyson employs rhythmic repetition ("Half a league, half a league, / Half a league onward") and a steady, marching metre that mimics the relentless advance of troops, fostering a sense of unity and heroism. His use of daring imagery—"Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them"—creates a dynamic, almost cinematic scene that emphasizes bravery amid danger. The refrain "Rode the six hundred" functions as a rallying cry, reinforcing collective sacrifice and honor.

Owen’s "Dulce et Decorum Est," by contrast, employs gruesome and haunting imagery to depict the brutal reality of war. The opening lines introduce "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks," immediately challenging any romantic notions of combat by portraying soldiers as exhausted and deformed by war’s brutality. The vivid description of the gas attack—"guttering, choking, drowning"—and the iconic image of a soldier’s death in the gas cloud vastly contrasts with Tennyson’s idealized heroism. Owen’s diction, filled with adjectives like "blood-shod" and "froth-corrupted lungs," aims to evoke disgust and horror, forcing readers to confront war’s suffering.

Themes and Message

The overarching theme of Tennyson’s poem is patriotic heroism, emphasizing duty, obedience, and sacrifice for the nation. The phrase "Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die" underscores the unquestioning obedience expected of soldiers, aligning with Victorian ideals. The final stanzas celebrate the bravery of the "noble six hundred," implying that their sacrifice ensures national honor, even if the battle was lost.

Owen’s work, however, confronts the sanitized, patriotic narratives with stark realism, emphasizing the senselessness, pain, and cruelty of war. By highlighting a soldier’s agonizing death from gas poisoning, Owen critiques the myth that dying heroically is glorious. His concluding lines condemn the "old Lie," exposing the manipulation behind patriotic rhetoric and challenging readers to rethink notions of honor and patriotism in wartime.

Impact and Legacy

The legacy of these poems reflects changing perceptions of war over time. Tennyson’s "Charge of the Light Brigade" serves as a rallying reminder of Victorian valor and collective patriotism, often recited at commemorative events. Conversely, Owen’s "Dulce et Decorum Est" is a poignant critique that has contributed to modern anti-war sentiments, emphasizing the need for honesty about war’s horrors.

Both poems employ powerful imagery and tone to communicate their messages, shaping collective memory and understanding of war. Tennyson’s idealization and Owen’s brutal realism represent two different approaches—one venerating sacrifice, the other condemning the falsehoods used to justify conflict. Their contrasting perspectives continue to influence how war is depicted in literature and how societies remember these conflicts.

In sum, the poetic portrayals of war by Tennyson and Owen illustrate the evolution of war literature from romanticized heroism to gritty realism. Their works underscore the importance of honesty, remembrance, and critique in discussing the human costs of conflict, making them essential texts for understanding the changing attitudes toward warfare across different historical periods.

References

• Bradbury, S. & McFarlane, J. (2017). The poetry of war: From Tennyson to Owen. Cambridge University Press.
• Heath-Stubbs, C. (2010). War poetry: An anthology from the First World War to the present day. Penguin Classics.
• Johnson, D. H. (2015). The Victorian poetry of war. Oxford University Press.
• Leonard, K. (2019). Poetry and the representation of war. Routledge.
• Phillips, W. (2012). Wilfred Owen: War and remembrance. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Sanders, E. (2014). The British soldier and war poetry. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
• Shaw, S. (2018). Poetry of the trenches: Owen and the renewal of war poetry. University of Chicago Press.
• Smith, J. (2020). Historical perspectives on war poetry. Routledge.
• Thornbury, K. (2016). Memories of war: Literature, history, and memory. Oxford University Press.
• Williams, G. (2021). War and poetry: From Tennyson to the modern era. Cambridge University Press.