Alfred Tennyson was born in 1809 and he died in 1892. The most famous poet of the Victorian age, he was a profound spokesman for the ideas and values of his times. In 1854 he wrote the poem “The Charge Of The Light Brigade.”
Both poets’ use repetition to create imagery of what they are describing. Scott uses the word “parading round, and round, and round,” this instantly gives you an image in your mind of soldiers parading around in a circle not getting anywhere and the anticipation of glory. In the second verse the glory has faded and misery and death of war is displayed.
Both poems have a rhythm to them. “The Drum” has the beating rhythm of a drum and “The Charge Of The Light Brigade” has the same rhythm the whole way through the poem of galloping horses into battle. “The Drum” creates an image of a battle. At the beginning of the poem it is slow and steady like an army marching into battle, but in the second verse it speeds up with the repetition of “and” making it sound like an army charging into battle.
In the “The Charge Of The Light Brigade” Tennyson describes the soldiers to be heroes. He uses a variety of language to convey his point. He shows how loyal the “six hundred” were by showing that none of the soldiers doubted their orders, they rode on “the six hundred.” He continues to express his admiration of the men by showing their courage and determination to “Charge for the guns,” this is shown by the repetition of cannon in the third verse describing that they were surrounded by the most powerful weapon of their time yet “boldly they rode.” Tennyson then explains that the “six hundred” were out numbered and out gunned and “horse and hero fell.” It is obvious the whole way through the poem that Tennyson is bias on behalf of the “Light Brigade,” and the last verse reinforces this point as he pays tribute to the “Noble six hundred.”
Scott has a different approach to war than Tennyson, he shows that the drum is a symbol of war, and with every beat this reminds him of “misery” and “death” that war brings. Scott describes how the drum attracts “thoughtless youth” (young men) from the cities and the fields “To sell their liberty for charms of tawdry lace,” in other words they are selling their liberty for uniforms and they are so ambitious they are willing to do anything they are commanded to do. Scott then shows in the second verse how the young men have been lured into dying “In foreign land,” and now they have turned wives into widows and sons into orphans.