Half A League

I’ve always thought the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson was an interesting poem, but I didn’t always know what it was about. Published on December 9, 1854, by The Examiner, the poem honored the bravery of 600 British soldiers who charged a heavily fortified position at the Battle of Balaklava in Crimea, only six weeks prior.

Tennyson did not come from an idyllic home. In fact, he was born into a tumultuous and unstable household. His father, once the heir to a wealthy landowner, was passed over for inheritance in favor of his younger brother. Consequently, he joined the clergy to make ends meet and then turned to alcohol, as he became deeply depressed and embittered. Despite this, he imparted a classical education to his children. Alfred, the fourth among twelve siblings, attended Trinity College, Cambridge in 1827. That year, he and his brother Charles released “Poems by Two Brothers.” While at Cambridge, Tennyson joined a group of intellectual peers who earnestly supported his poetry. Among them was Arthur Hallam, who not only became Tennyson’s dearest friend but was also engaged to Tennyson’s sister, Emily. Unfortunately, Hallum died suddenly while on a trip overseas, so they never married.

In 1830, Tennyson released “Poems, Chiefly Lyrical.” The subsequent year, after the death of his father, he had to leave Cambridge due to financial limitations. Despite facing critical scrutiny and financial hardships, Tennyson continued to commit to his craft, producing several additional volumes. The unexpected passing of Tennyson’s close friend Arthur Hallam in 1833 led to the creation of several significant pieces in Tennyson’s subsequent years, notably the acclaimed In Memoriam in 1842. That same year, he released a collection titled Poems, which included some of his finest compositions. This publication elevated Tennyson’s standing, and by 1850, which is what led to his appointment as Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria. Ultimately, Tennyson secured financial security and wed his long-time love, Emily Sellwood, to whom he had been engaged since 1836. In 1850, Tennyson had been appointed Poet Laureate, which is an eminent poet traditionally appointed for life as a member of the British royal household, by Queen Victoria. Alfred Lord Tennyson continued to write and publish poetry until his passing in 1892.

His poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is really the one that interests me most. The 600 men who went into the Battle of Balaclava knew it was a suicide mission. I’m sure most were terrified, yet they had orders, and they had to follow those orders. I’m sure that was the exact way the men who stormed the beaches at Normandy felt. How could they not? The beaches, like the valley the 600 men of the Battle of Balaclava went into, were heavily fortified, and there was really not way to go in there without losing many lives. Nevertheless, the brave men who fought in those battles, dug down deep, and gathered their courage, and did their duty. Of the 670 men who went in, miraculously only 110 were killed, even though they were taking fire from three sides. These men were very brave, and that deserves remembrance.