For example, “The Revenge” is relatively long (135 lines and 13 stanzas) compared to “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (that has 54 lines and six stanzas). It is little wonder, therefore, that the poet calls them the “noble six hundred.”ĭespite having similar themes, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “The Revenge” use different structures and literary devices. This statement reveals that the soldiers are ready to lay their lives bare all in the name executing their national duties. “Forward, the Light Brigade! Was there a man dismay’d? Not tho’ the soldier knew someone had blunder’d: theirs was but to do and die” (Stanza 2 lines 1-3). Nevertheless, they obey the command and execute the words of the commander without any reservations. They charge forward knowing that death awaits them. In “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” the soldiers do not question the words of their commander. In this statement, Sir Richard, is proud of his mother country and urges his men to fight the Spaniards. Lets us bang these dogs of Seville, the children of the devil, For I never turned back upon Don or devil yet” (29-31). In “the Revenge”, for instance, Sir Richard says “We be all good English men. In both poems, the soldiers are self-confident of Britain’s nationality and they do anything to preserve the dignity and honor of Britain. Despite the fact that the soldiers are entering a dangerous valley, they ride gallantly to meet the rival army.īoth “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “The Revenge” also present the theme of nationalism. The same theme of courage and honor is also evident in “The Charge of the Light Brigade” where the speaker says “Half a league, half a league, half a league onwards.all in the valley of death rode the six hundred.” (The Charge of the light Brigade 1-2). They would rather die fighting than surrender to the enemy who outnumbers them. These words prove that the officers are ready to fight tooth and nail for the honor of their country. This occurs despite the fact that they face fifty-three warships of the rival army. For instance, in “The Revenge,” Lord Thomas Howard, one of the officers manning the ship, replies to the commander of Revenge “’Fore God I am no coward” (The Revenge 4). In both “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “The Revenge”, Alfred Tennyson paints the picture of war heroes who would not relent to their enemies. A cursory look at Alfred Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “The Revenge” reveals that the speaker honors the soldiers that took part in the Battle of Balaclava and the Battle of Flores respectively however, the two poems differ in their structure and the choice of literary devices. Tennyson’s poems coincided with the Victorian Era - a period associated with national self-confidence in Britain. In Britain, for instance, Alfred Lord Tennyson led the pack in immortalizing heroes of war and calling on the people to honor the heroic deeds of their soldiers. In addition, writers of that generation made several clarion calls for patriotism. Literary works of the Romantic Era, reaching its peak in the 1800-1850, reveal that artists of that generation renewed a sense of nationalism and voiced their concerns on issues of national importance.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |