![]() Read of the desperate efforts to return down the Valley of Death as the enemy pressed around the remnants of the Light Brigade, and of the nine Victoria Crosses won that day. Gallop with the light dragoons and lancers into the mouths of the Russian cannon as the shells and cannonballs decimate their ranks. This is the story of the charge told by the soldiers of both sides, in the most detailed description of the Battle of Balaklava yet written. ![]() Voices from the Past, The Charge of the Light Brigade relives that fateful day not through the opinions of such historians but from the words of those that were there. Though numerous books have been written about the charge, all claiming to ‘reveal the truth’ or to understand ‘the reason why’ exactly what happened at Balaklava on 25 October 1854 continues to be fiercely debated. Gives a good overview of the battle itself.The most notorious, and most contentious, cavalry charge in history still remains an enigma. ![]() Learn more about the Crimean War from the BBC Here's another bio, plus a nice group of online texts of Tennyson's "greatest hits." WebsitesĪ good place to start for information about Tennyson's life. ![]() Read excerpts from the letters and journals of General George Paget, a guy who was a part of the Battle of Balaclava. "Why the Charge of the Light Brigade still matters"Īn article from the BBC on the 150th anniversary of the Charge. You owe it to yourself to check this one out. "Retelling the Tale of the Light Brigade"Īn NPR Weekend Edition episode from the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Balaclava. Sounds like he's underwater, wrapped in gauze, and about a half a mile away, but still worth a listen.Īn actor performs a dramatic reading of the poem. In case you wanted to see the action in color…Ī sort of trippy, slightly confusing but weirdly fun cartoon recap of the Crimean War.Ī very early sound recording of the very old poet reading his famous poem. It's way more action movie than mournful tribute, but that doesn't make it any less good.Ĭlip from Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) The Charge of the Light Brigade Resources VideosĪ pretty cool dramatization of the charge from The Charge of the Light Brigade, starring Errol Flynn. We think that definitely makes it worth your time. Just like other more recent works of art like The Hurt Locker, Generation Kill, and Band of Brothers, this poem gives us a way to grapple with the mixed emotions of war, and just maybe to understand it a little better. At the same time, this poem helps us to confront the horror of war. That means that generations of people have turned to this poem as a way to celebrate heroism. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" is a serious classic, one of the most famous war poems of all time. That's a pretty crazy combination, isn't it? How do we make sense of something that brings out the absolute worst in humanity, but also shows our courage, our faithfulness, and our willingness to sacrifice.Īrt, including poetry can help us to think about what war is and what it means. It's scary, tragic, awful, but also sometimes heroic, exciting, and awe-inspiring. It touches the lives of people across America and across the world. What is The Charge of the Light Brigade About and Why Should I Care? Apparently, Tennyson was so moved by what he read that he dashed off this poem, which has turned into one of the most famous poems ever about the tragic heroism of soldiers. In this battle, a small group of British soldiers on horseback (called the Light Brigade) made a desperate and doomed attack, and suffered heavy casualties. Tennyson read a newspaper story about the Battle of Balaclava (not to be confused with baklava, the delicious dessert). While reading this poem, it's important to know that at the time, the British were fighting the Russian Empire in the Crimean War. By that point, he had been the Poet Laureate of England for more than four years, and he was well on his way to being the most famous and successful poet of his time. Tennyson published " The Charge of the Light Brigade" in an English newspaper called The Examiner on December 9, 1854. When he was born, he was plain old Alfred Tennyson.) ![]() (You got it, "Lord" isn't his middle name it's his aristocratic title. He was also given a title and a position in the nobility because of his awesomeness as a poet. Tennyson was a superstar poet during his life and was named poet laureate in 1850, after the death of William Wordsworth. The Charge of the Light Brigade IntroductionĪlfred, Lord Tennyson was an English poet writing during the Victorian period (that means during the reign of Queen Victoria, or 1837-1901). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |