Battle and Aftermath - Stanzas 4-6
The fourth stanza shows the soldiers fighting back with flashing sabres, briefly succeeding in their attack against the Russian guns. However, the haunting line "Then they rode back, but not the six hundred" tells us everything - many didn't survive.
Stanza five mirrors the third, but now the cannons are behind them too, showing they're completely surrounded during their retreat. The phrase "All that was left of them, Left of six hundred" emphasises the devastating losses.
The final stanza shifts completely - instead of describing battle, Tennyson asks "When can their glory fade?" He's telling us to remember and honour these brave soldiers, calling them the "Noble six hundred" who deserve eternal respect.
Critical Understanding: Tennyson wrote this poem after reading a newspaper report about the military disaster, transforming a tragic mistake into a celebration of courage and duty.
The poem's key themes include the reality of conflict (showing war's true brutality), the effects of conflict (highlighting senseless loss), and identity (exploring what it means to be a soldier).