Theirs Not To Reason Why

Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ was first published on 9th December, 1854, in The Examiner. Tennyson had penned the poem shortly after reading a dramatic account in The Times of the disastrous charge, which occurred during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. Its rhythmic cadence, mimicking the galloping charge, made it both poignant and memorable, and the poem was an instant hit with the public - though critics were sniffy about the poet’s rhyming of ‘blunder’ and ‘hundred’... In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider why Tennyson initially left his name off the poem, despite him being Queen Victoria’s Poet Laureate; debate whether it is pro or anti-war; and try to establish exactly who blundered on the battlefield… Further Reading: • ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ (Historic UK, 2019): https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Charge-Of-The-Light-Brigade/ • ’Poem of the week: The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Tennyson’ (The Guardian, 2014): https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/jan/20/poem-of-the-week-charge-light-brigade-tennyson • ’Alfred, Lord Tennyson Reading "The Charge of the Light Brigade"’ (Thomas Edison, 1890): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLrJqhhR2G8 Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices