The Charge of the Light and Dulce Et Decorum Est
The Charge of the Light and Dulce Et Decorum EstDeath-An Inevitable Part of Life
“In the midst of life we are in death,” these famous
words spoken anonymously have held true throughout time.
Death is an inevitable part of life, and without each other
would fail to exist. Throughout history, poets and authors
have tried to capture death and its sting and glory through
literature. They have also tried to explain what happens
beyond death. Death, like a coin, has two sides, a fearful,
painful, and dark side and a beautiful, glorious, triumphant
side. In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “ The Charge of the Light
Brigade” and in Wifred Owens “Dulce Et Decorum Est”, death
is discussed through a poetic manner. Both poems portray
death in extreme ways and both were written in times of war.
In Tennyson’s, “The Charge of the Light Brigade, death is
depicted gloriously. While in Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum
Est,” it is characterized in a cynical and demeaning manner
and in Emily Dickinson’s, “Because I Could Not Stop For
Death”, she tries to provide an explanation of life after
death. Although the feeling of death cannot be described in
entirety and the place to which one travels after death is
unknown, the emotions felt about death can easily be
expressed. Through their poetry, these poets give us a clear
representation of their opinion on death.
In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light
Brigade” he is attempting to glorify death through poetry.
As the poem opens, we are given the powerful words “Half a
league, half a league, half a league onward”(459). This is
the charge from the captain telling the soldiers to charge
into battle. The order from the captain is revered and the
men are inspired to enter the “valley of Death.” In the
second stanza we see the brigade falling short of
expectations, forcing the men to continue even though
someone had blundered. The beginning of this poem is light
and there is much excitement. However, the mode changes
with stanza three and four. In those verses, we begin to
see cannons and hear shots, and then the six hundred did not
ride away. As we are presented with their death we are
asked a simple question by the author. “When can their
glory fade?”(Tennyson 459). According to the poem and the
writing of Alfred Lord Tennyson, we cannot forget their
glory: it does not diminish. Through his use of language in
“The Charge of the Light Brigade,” we feel honor in the
deaths of the young men. “While horse and hero fell. They
that fought so well,”(459) Tennyson praises the men who so
bravely charged forward into the unknown and lost their
lives. He asks us to “Honor the Light Brigade, Noble six
hundred.” In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem death is portrayed
as noble and killing opposing men is honorable.
Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est” is a poem that
describes death gruesomely. Owen portrays war and death
opposite from Tennyson. He believes war is not honorable
nor noble. In the poem, he describes soldiers as old
“beggars under sacks” (Owen...
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