“Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and die:”
These three lines also very simply emphasise not only how disciplined these brave men and horses were but also their total trust in their Commanding Officers and masters respectively.
Verse three depicts the Light Brigade as victims charging into an ambush. It begins with the galloping effect, this time illustrating the actual danger this elite force is charging into.
“Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them
Cannon in front of them”
These three lines give an onomatopoeic effect of anticipation, adrenalin rising, hearts beating harder as they continue their charge. Tennyson fuels this tension further when he writes
“Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,”
Here Tennyson uses alliteration creating the whistling effect of flying shells. This Unit is surrounded on three sides and are under attack but they continue courageously with their assignment. Tennyson reminds us of their fate, again using biblical symbolism when he writes
“Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell”
This is very descriptive writing, ‘Jaws’ describing the three sides of ambush and waiting to eat these innocent souls. Again, biblical reference is emphasised by the personification of Hell in the form of this erroneous valley.
“Rode the six hundred” is the last time the Light Brigade are referred to as a complete live unit. This is relevant as it tells the reader not one of these heroic soldiers retreated but continued as one fighting force.
Verse four now depicts the Light Brigade as an attacking force, charging enemy lines. The verse starts with
“Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there”
The galloping and adrenalin’ fuelled pace is maintained, with the adrenalin running at an all time high. These men are reacting to adversity from close quarters. These lines are also onomatopoeic, giving the swishing, cutting motion of metal through air and flesh.
“Charging an army, while
All the world wondered:”
This confirms the Light Brigade are still as one even against great adversity, striving to achieve their goal. The world is in great admiration for this elite force, perhaps speculatively holding their breath for the end result.
“Plunged in the battery – smoke
Right through the line they broke”
This rhyming couplet emphasises the galloping and adrenalin charged pace from the first three lines of this verse. This displays the true grit and determination of these valiant men and their steeds. Even through their impaired vision (due to heavy gun fire which would also sting their eyes) the remainder of this elite force managed to break the enemy line and continue their fearless attack from close quarters.
“Reeled from the sabre – stroke
Shattered and sundered”
This details alliteratively the slashed destruction this brave unit dealt on the enemy.
“Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.”
The Light Brigade is now divided, incomplete – this is emphasised by the repetitive use of the word ‘Not’. Death is not mentioned – it doesn’t need to be mentioned.
Verse five recounts the aftermath. It is almost a reflection of Verse three, accept this time the ‘Cannon behind them’. The galloping effect continues with the remaining unit returning to base. A further variation is shown when Tennyson writes
“While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well”
He reminds the reader that this unit was not just a team of heroic men but also their courageous steeds.
“All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.”
No number is specified here, but the poet implies very few soldiers and horses survived this onslaught. He allows the reader to decide how few they think may have survived.
Finally verse six is a salutation to this incredibly brave, elite force. He opens this verse with the rhetorical question,
“When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made”
He is telling us that this unit will never be forgotten because of their extreme bravery and heroism.
“Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!”
Here, Tennyson is instructing the reader to respect this heroic Force and their courageous efforts. This is emphasised by the repetition of honour and use of exclamation marks. This is an anthem – glorifying their name and memory of a truly patriotic elite Force.
This poem creates a sense of urgency and determination. He repeatedly creates a galloping pace with a sense of purpose. There is no deviation from this purpose even when the Light Brigade are faced with great adversity. The poet’s clever use of word repetition combined with the rhythmic meter arouses the reader’s emotions. Verse one sets the scene and the pace. Tennyson still manages to create a sense of foreboding with his biblical symbolism of “the valley of Death”. Although there is this sense of foreboding, the Light Brigade have a duty to carry out the orders of their Commanding Officers.
It is in the second verse when the reader’s emotions begin to ride high. It is when the reader is informed
“Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered:”
Frustration is now felt because the reader now realises the doomed fate of this elite force is down to one person’s mistake. We are aware of this unit charging into the wrong valley knowing that it can only end in tragedy. This almost makes the reader want to give up. It is Tennyson’s clever galloping pace that pushes the reader on into this massacre.
Verse three shows the Light Brigade being swallowed “Into the jaws of Death” quite literally as they are surrounded in a jaw – like fashion with
“Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them”
This is extremely descriptive and leaves the reader with the impression that there will be no survivors, as the enemy does not need hand to hand combat to slay the Brigade as they have cannon power. However, Tennyson pushes us forward in verse four by turning the tables and making the Light Brigade become the assailants. As a reader this particular verse gives me a feeling of total admiration. Here is an elite Force faced with an impossible situation. They could have retreated and no one would of blamed them for doing so, but no, without question they continue with even more grit and determination. It is this action that makes them heroes. They are representing us as a nation and are proving to the enemy that we run from no one and are not afraid to stare Death in the eye. Even more to their credit, this elite Force slash their way through the enemy lines leaving bodies in their wake. It could be said that the Light Brigade is symbolic of our country in stature – both being small. However, the Light Brigade, like our Country, is a Force to be reckoned with. It is in this verse that patriotism is at an all time high. Not only has this Force continued its challenge but has managed to come through the other side as victors leaving their mark.
Tennyson continues with the galloping pace in verse five, echoing the words of verse three with slight variation. As a reader I feel quite exhausted (as obviously the surviving soldiers were) but the galloping speed is maintained until safety is reached.
The final verse, although brief, is praise for this heroic Light Brigade. There are not enough words to describe these courageous men and their steeds, so Tennyson has kept it simple but authoritative when he says
“Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!”
These simple words create tremendous pride and make you feel that they should be shouted for the entire world to hear. These men are an inspiration to us all.
Dulce ET Decorum Est is a poem from 1914-1918 World War One. This poem is actually from 1915 to 1916. The poet, Wilfred Owen, was a Commanding Officer and he actually witnessed the true horror of war. Unfortunately, during this war the weaponry became more advanced and deadly. Chemical warfare was the new weapon. This was a perfect weapon for cowards as the poisonous gas could be released from cylinders or fired in shells five-miles away. The enemy had the satisfaction of knowing that they could cause maximum suffering before death without having to witness it. The suffering from these gases wasn’t just from the lungs and eyes but also the visual appearance of the victims was like something from a horror film. The skin would turn greenish – black and yellow, tongue protruding with the eyes becoming a glassy stare. In addition to this the victim would be coughing up greenish froth.
The stimulation for Owen to write this poem was to share the true horror of this chemical war. To report death as a statistic is one thing but to describe the actual suffering these men had to endure before their release by death is something that needed to be told. In those days it was more likely a poet, especially one commanding a group of men, would be more likely to write in criticism of the horrors of modern warfare. Understandably, they would see the gruesome and painful death as an unnecessary horror. It was futile to allow people to experience such painful death when the enemy wouldn’t be near enough to enjoy the ‘the pleasure’. In contrast, the Charge of the Light Brigade was close – quarter fighting. The enemy still needed to have the Light Brigade in their sights before firing the cannons. The sole concern was to kill as many of the elite force as possible. Unfortunately in World War One, it appears suffering was the main aim.
The main thing to bear in mind is that these soldiers weren’t just rank numbers to the Commanding Officers, they were ‘family’. These men very closely together shared all different kinds of emotion. For a Commanding Officer to see one of his men suffer so horrifically and slowly would be like watching his own brother or son. He would equally suffer the torture from frustration of not being able to help or relieve the pain. It could be said this poet suffered from World War One stress disorder as he continued to suffer nightmares after experiencing one of these chemical attacks.
In contrast to The Charge of the Light Brigade, there is no glorification of war in this poem. In fact, Wilfred Owen dares to end his poem
“The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori”
On reading this poem I have to agree.
The first verse immediately tells us that the poet is there(unlike Tennyson, whose contact with war was by reading The Times), by his use of first person when he writes
“…we cursed through sludge
… we turned our backs…”
In contrast to the Charge of the Light Brigade the descriptions of the soldiers are very detailed, allowing the reader to share their agony. Owen effectively uses many similes to paint his picture, for example
“Ben double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock- Kneed, coughing like hags…”
This is extremely descriptive of the young men returning from the frontline, appearing more like old vagrants than young brave soldiers. This verse emphasises the exhaustion of these men
“…we… began to trudge.
Men marched asleep…
All went lame, all blind
Drunk with fatigue; death even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped five-nines that dropped behind.”
Owen cleverly describes the five-nines as also being tired, which unfortunately means impending death.
The second verse immediately begins with direct speech order “Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!”. These four words are extremely informative. The first word ‘Gas!’ is spoken like a reaction. The second word ‘GAS!’ shows recognition of the true danger. “Quick, boys!” depicts the urgency for his men to protect themselves. Notice he uses the word ‘boys’ and not ‘men’, this indicates familiarity and passion.
Owen continues to detail how awkward these gas masks were to put on when he says “Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling”.
The reader experiences the panic and frustration these tired men go through when trying to secure their life – saving devices. We are now introduced to the real graphic horror of a chemical attack when Owen tells us
“… through the … thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning”.
This indicates how quick the chemicals kick into action and how thick and smothering
it is.
The third verse consists of only two lines –
“In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.”
Here is the indication that the poet is suffering from World War One stress disorder. His horrific experience of witnessing on of his ‘boys’ die such a horrible death returns to haunt him. You can feel his frustration when he says “my helpless sight”, knowing he is unable to help this soldier. “guttering” is symbolic to this soldier’s spark of life being extinguished due to ‘drowning’ “under a green sea” of poisonous gas.
In contrast, there was no mention of suffering or death in the Charge of the Light Brigade.
The fourth and final verse explodes the myth “it is sweet and fitting to die for your country”. Owen asks the reader if they would send their children to ‘honourably’ die for their country if they knew they would die such a slow gory death. His use of adjectives are powerful as he describes
“…white eyes writhing in his face
His hanging face…”
As if this is not enough of a description he continues, like Tennyson, with the simile, using biblical symbolism.
“…like a devil’s sick of sin”.
This gives the imagery of how evil war is and is the creation of mankind’s sin. Owen continues with the satanic imagery when he refers to
“…gargling from the froth – corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer …
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues”
This imagery depicts an innocent man possessed, perhaps by the devil himself, as he dies a slow and torturous death. This could be symbolic of Christ himself taking on the sins of the world when he was crucified – he also died a slow and torturous death.
Owen powerfully ends this tortured poem
“My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory
The old Lie, Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.”
The poet is talking directly to the reader and is making the reader rethink his or her own beliefs. He is clever because he isn’t asking if the reader would suffer such death for their country but if the reader could allow their child to suffer such a death. He explodes the myth by referring to the well known military motto as an “old Lie”.
Owen’s graphic descriptions of the exhausted soldiers returning from the frontline create a feeling of sympathy for me. These men fought their war and are returning to safety. Many are injured but “limped on, blood-shod”. Like Tennyson, Owen quietly drops the proverbial bombshell when he says
“…deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped five-nines that dropped behind”.
For me this creates the feeling of despair for these poor men, as they now have to continue their fight for survival from the unseen enemy. (Tennyson’s quiet bombshell was “Someone had blundered” thus making the mission futile.)
Hope evaporates as quickly as the poisonous gas spreads when I realise there is one soldier who was just to slow to secure his gas mask. As if that’s not enough Owen continues in graphic detail to describe the suffering of this innocent soul. He uses strong words such as “guttering, choking, drowning”, “writhing” and “hanging”. This is extremely powerful writing as it gives me the impression this man is dying many deaths.
As I continue reading this poem my sympathy also turns to the poet himself. To witness this horror once is bad enough, but this poor man has to relive it every time he goes to sleep. I can understand his bitterness to war, and after reading this I share his view. This man bravely makes a stand against an age old myth and questions it.
It is because of men like Wilfred Owen, who detail the true, visual horror of war that changes and new laws can be made. After World War One chemical warfare was banned by The Geneva Convention and fortunately still stands today. If it wasn’t for people like Wilfred Owen, who knows what sorry state our World would be in today. Although I have witnessed this soldier’s death through the eyes of his Commanding Officer, I believe he didn’t die for his country – he died to save the World.
There are two main differences between these two poems. They are, firstly, glorification of war (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and the abhorrence of war (Dulce Et Decorum Est). Secondly, the person these poems are written in. Tennyson obtained his details of this war from The Times’ editorial. However, Wilfred Owen was actually present during the chemical attack.
There is a sixty-year gap between these two poems and, therefore the customs and beliefs are different. Tennyson is from the old school, glorifying war, depicting it as action – packed, but never mentioning death. Owen, in contrast, concentrates on the suffering of the soldiers as opposed to their heroic deeds.
There is futility in both poems but of a different nature. In the Charge of the Light Brigade the mission, itself, is made futile by one human error. However, in Dulce et Decorum est the futility is in the extreme suffering of one man never to be witnessed by the enemy who dealt this heinous blow. Both poets however, refuse to let this futility go unrecognised. Tennyson instructs the reader to honour this “noble” elite Force who broke enemy lines against great adversity. In contrast Owen instructs the reader to reconsider the old belief of willingly dying for your country.
Both these poems have contrasting powerful messages and both are right. I try to imagine it was my great grandfather who died in the Charge of the Light Brigade. On reading this poem it would reassure me that he had not died in vain and had in fact died a hero. Equally, I try to imagine it is my great Uncle who is dying a slow agonising death in Dulce et Decorum est. Although painful to read, again he has not died in vain because the World has been made to share his experience and it never wants that experience again.
In effect, it could be said that the Light Brigade as a unit and the chemical – infested soldier are representative of Christ in their own ways. The Light Brigade representing Christ fighting the good fight against all odds – and achieving their objective (seizing the guns – albeit the wrong ones). The dying soldier representing Christ dying for our sins on the cross.
