GCSE War Poem :: English Literature

GCSE War PoemThe pip of the Light aggroup and For the Fallen, are both poemsabout war. The Charge of the Light Brigade written by AlfredTennyson on 14th November 1854, describes an event in the Crimeanwar. Britain and France were concerned that Russia may powersouthwards, so they attacked Russia at Balaclava. For the Fallen,was written by Laurence Binyon on family line 1914, during the war withthe intention of showing the reader the reality of war, in particular,Binyon takes a non-biased approach, demonstrating positive andnegative consequences, of dying for ones country.The two poems are equal because in both, the soldiers are brave andprepared when going to war and portray the soldiers as heroes. Thedifferences are For the Fallen was written in the past tense andCharge of the Light Brigade is written in the present. In addition,Tennysons poem has a lot of action in it but Binyons poem is a viewof soldiers after they die. The Charge of the Light Brigade isabout 600 men who charg ed into an ambush of Russian and Cossackcannons. This happened because the commander mistook orders and toldthe men to charge into the Russian main base. Over two-thirds of thesoldiers die, while in the midst of battle. Binyons poem is aboutmen who all die in war. Binyon compares their lives to what theywould be like if they had lived and how their final stages are regarded byother people.The first stanza of Tennysons poem creates an image of horsesgalloping forwardHalf a league, half a league,Half a league onward repeating reflects exhaustion because it is laborious. The next linetells the reader that the Light Brigade are the ones who are going tobe defeatedAll in the valley of death,By using a metaphor, which exaggerates a point, Tennyson isemphasising the fact that they are going to lose. The poet shows howhe feels towards the soldiers. He is feeling bravery and stupidityfor the Light Brigade. Bravery because no soldier turned back androde away and no one questioned the comman d, Charge for the guns. He shows the stupidity by repeating Valley of death, because thesoldiers are travel to death and Tennyson is commenting on the lackof questioning to an irrational command.In stanza three, the Light Brigade are in the peak of battle. Repetition of Cannon all about them creates a picture of anambush. In the next two lines the cannons are firing fiercely. Tennyson uses alliteration to emphasize the impact the cannons arehaving. Stormed at with shot ad lecture