The style suggests the regimented, militaristic way the members of the Light Brigade think as they ride ahead, and the effect of the strong use of repetition is to drown out concerns about the blunder mentioned in the previous stanza. "Theirs but to do and die" says that the soldiers are actually supposed to die this might seem contrary to the purpose of fighting, but Tennyson makes it clear that this is the belief of the charging soldiers, for whom such a fate would be the ultimate expression of loyalty. In the next line the perspective shifts from what the soldiers think of their mission to a view of the overall battle situation, again repeating the image of the "valley of Death” which would spook any one.
The first three lines of this stanza are basically identical, changing only the location of the cannons, presenting the layout of the battlefield visually, instead of simply stating the fact that there were cannons all around. By repeating the phrase three times, the reader is not only given information about the tremendous odds against the Light Brigade, but the poem gives the feeling of being surrounded creating
fear. This states that any one going in to that is very brave.
"Stormed" in the next line states the image of "thundered" from the line before it, making the barrage of cannon fire aimed at the cavalrymen appear almost like a force of nature. After that makes a point of mentioning that the soldiers of the Light Brigade were brave, but also that they rode their horses well. Their skill is mentioned almost as an afterthought, though, and this is the only place in the poem that it is brought up. Tennyson expands the phrase that was used to end the first two stanzas: instead of the "Valley of Death," he uses the metaphor "jaws of Death," and extends this metaphor with "mouth of hell." Treating death as the same thing as hell. This stanza shows the Light Brigade's control over the battle at its beginning. They ride into the enemy, using their sabres against opponents armed with cannons and pistols, and are able to break through the front line of defence. This states that not even guns and cannons can stop the light brigade. “All the world wondered" appears in the middle of a vivid battle scene. In this stanza, the Light Brigade takes such complete control of the situation that their opponents find their defensive line torn apart ("shattered and sundered") and have to retreat, while the six hundred cavalry members, who have by this time stared into the barrels of cannons and guns, continue to press forward bravely.
The first five lines of this stanza override any optimism the reader may have gotten from the Light Brigade's initial success. By using the same words as were used in the third stanza (except that now the cannon are behind instead of in front of them), the poem takes the reader back to the same sense of hopelessness that was made before the battle began. The brief victory that was gained in the fourth stanza has made no difference in the overall scope of the battle. The first time these words were used though, they ended with a claim of the soldiers' boldness and skill: this time, they end with the soldiers being shot down. The path that the Light Brigade charged into the jaws of death, the mouth of hell showing repeatability which is used to show how much trouble they are in shows that they are brave to still be there, also it is mentioned again as the survivors make their escape. It is saying that all the survivors are heroes strengthening the argument for people to fight for there country as then they will be heroes.
The focus of the poem shifts in this stanza, from describing the battle scene to addressing the reader directly. In using the description "wild" to marvel at the charge, the next line implies that thoughtless bravery is to be admired in and of itself, regardless of concerns about strategy or success. Repeating the line "All the world wondered" adds to the idea that what the soldiers have done goes beyond the average person. The poem does not rely upon a reader's understanding, but directly tells the reader to honour these soldiers and that it is good to copy them . The poem is so straightforward about its intent as an indicator that it was written for a common, often uneducated, audience, to celebrate the actions of common soldiers to do every tghing the leaders say.
