Context

• Tennyson had an unhappy childhood caused by his abusive father who left his mother and her children fearful for their safety. He did, however, receive a good education through his middle class family and rich relatives who allowed him to attend excellent grammar schools. After a period of experiencing intense poverty, Tennyson was given the role of poet laureate. In this position, he was duty bound to glorify war to the British public to defend the positions of the aristocracy.
• The Crimean War Initially this was a conflict between Russia and the Ottoman empire however, eventually France and Britain got involved to prevent Russian expansion. This was unpopular with the British public who saw it as unnecessary and as this was the most well documented war at the time, they were aware of the mistakes made. The light brigade were often members of the lower class who were lightly armoured and on horseback.