While reading Tennyson I thought about his past and how it might have affected him. With all that he has gone through, I don’t think that some of his poems are as literal as they can seem.
“The Charge of the Light Brigade” is a piece written by Tennyson about the Crimean War taking place during 1854. Although this may have been a poem depicting the events of that war, I think that the struggle he wrote about represents some of his own.
"Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the left of them,
Cannon in front of them,
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred." (p.615)
Through Tennyson’s life he was faced with many hardships. Suicide, the family curse, and the death of Hallam all were factors that helped shape his poetry and overall demeanor. The threats that Tennyson himself wrote about, I think, were to be interpreted as his own hardships. His life seemed to be one great war with many battles. His imagery of being bombarded with resistance all around him and the dark thoughts of hell, really portray to the reader how much of himself he put into his writing.
"Back from the Mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred." (p.616)
Although Tennyson’s life had been hard for him personally, he did not let the “battle” deteriorate his sense of self. Through his struggles and his first bit of success, Tennyson found that he could make something of himself. With his success in later years with works such as “Maud” and “Idylls of the King” he was finely content with his efforts.
3 comments:
Jason,
While it is at times appropriate to interpret events in a poem as really being about the inner experiences and thoughts of the poet, I can't think of a poem where that seems less likely than in this one. He was not the suffering victim you propose when he wrote this, but a successful poet laureate at the height of his powers. Also, he was specifically responding to a current event in the newspaper.
Jason,
Dr. Glance knows more than I will ever know on this topic and he has the final say so, but I did find your opening quotation to be connected with some of the biographical information. Maybe he was simply responding to the newspaper article and speaking of the Crimean War? I wonder if you are not at least on to something in saying that Tennyson could have used the war as a metaphor for some things he had been bottling up? I am not sure what the answer is but thanks for raising my eyebrow!
-kyle
Interesting approach on this poem. Even though it might not be exactly accurate according to Dr. Glance, it was still very interesting to read and consider. I liked your quotes and take on the poem since it was different then what others have said. Good thoughts.
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