The Defence of Lucknow

The Defence of Lucknow: Some facts
 Originally written in March, 1879 it was published a month later in April,

1879.
 Primary source of the poem is Col. Outram’s and Inglis’ records of the
siege.
 Col. Inglis was in charge of the garrison within the fort of Lucknow and
Col. Outram led the charge of relief contingency.
 Instead of engaging with the larger ethical question of the dominance of
European imperialism, Tennyson gives in to the typical rhetoric of Victorian
imperialist sentiments.
 This poem rings false to an Indian ear since it uncovers the politics of
colonial imperialist views and assumptions of colonizers (British) against the
colonized (Indian)
Some Notes for study
Part 1
• halyard (sailing jargon); meaning– Rope, tackle for lowering or raising

sail.
• The opening section of the poem introduces the readers with the
subject matter of this narrative poem.
• Highlights: scarce English soldiers holding fort against a wave of
rebellious Indians; but even then the banner (flag) of England, symbol
of its imperialist power flutters high on the fort. At once underscores
the adversities and odds against which brave British soldiers are
working, making the poem highly nationalistic in its tone in context of
the British. The “ghastliness of the siege” depicts the bravery of the
English soldiers
PART II
Historical figure: Sir Henry Lawrence- British military officer in-charge of the Lucknow Fort during
seige; died defending it on 4th of July, 1857.
Girdles: (military jargon); meaning—encircle, surround
 The British garrison was weak and insufficient to defend the attack but still the brave English
soldiers, women and children held the fort for nearly three months (87 days) instead of an
earlier estimation of 10-15 days. Sir Lawrence inspires his men to never surrender and bravely
lead on the charge even when conditions turn abysmal for the English soldiers.
 Death in the II section becomes a highly dramatized common occurrence, the word “death” is
repeated 11 times underscoring the fact that it had occupied the personal quarters of the
defending soldiers and citizen for whom death was a battle ground occurrence.
 A clear binary opposition has been created in this section between “us” versus “they”. “Us” is
the brave British soldiers and “they” are the dark, traitorous, mole and spying Indians. The
larger ethical question as to what claims did the British have on the Indian soil and their own
administrative flaw which led to “Sepoy mutiny of 1857” has been completely glossed over in
this poem. Indian patriotism has been given a negative connotation and the imperial double-
speak of the British is at play here which conveniently shifts the debate of illegitimate rule the
British are perpetrating over Indians and represents Indians in a negative light who are morally
and racially inferior in comparison to the British soldiers.
PART III
Grape: (archaic military jargon) meaning—small cast iron balls joined
together as charge for cannon.
 This section graphically narrates the encounter between “us” and “they”.
How thousands of Indians were successfully able to infiltrate the fences of
British defence and landed a fierce attack from all directions which led to
depletion of all kinds within the British garrison. The surfeits of attacking
Indians stormed the fort like sea waves. However such large numbers
could not stand British resistance and they were ultimately repealed by a
handful of British soldiers.
 Again the idea of British bravery and nationalism is played with so that
the poet Tennyson could successfully emblematize and immortalized the
lives laid by brave British soldiers fighting against Indians which is the
primary objective of the poet.
Part IV and V
• These two parts are redundant and mostly repeats the same themes, emotions and
tone that have till now been used in the poem.
• The unanticipated success of British against the Indians showcases the spirit of
“Englishness”. “Englishness” then becomes a marker of racial superiority that
legitimizes the cultural, mental and moral dominance of the British over Indians which
was an essential feature of colonial enterprise.
• Tennyson repeats the battle details in this section of the self-congratulatory and self-
celebratory kind.
• Its noteworthy to note the “unnamed horror” that terrifies English men, women and
children alike. The unnamed horror is “rape” and even before it occurs of comes to
that it would be noble for women and children to die at the hands of one they love
rather than at the hands of the savage Indians.
• In section V of the poem Tennyson extends a three line cameo gratitude to the few
“faithful Indian brothers” who fought alongside “with the bravest among them”. The
implicit irony present in these lines is all too apparent for an Indian reader.
• By a precarious inversion of logical for the colonizers, the traitor becomes “kindly
Indian brothers” and the patriot becomes the tratior.
Part VI
• It is in this section that the final project of immortalization of bravery displayed by British
soldiers is completed by Tennyson who highlight the fact that “Men will forget what we
suffer and not what we do”. British soldiers have suffered greatly because of their
dwindling numbers and resources, but they still managed to prevail against all odds.
• Odds like cholera, scurvy, and other deathly epidemics which had engulfed the fort of
Lucknow where death, decay and disease had become a regular bed partner of the
British.
• One of the toughest adversities that British had to face alongside above mentioned
epidemic was the typically treacherous tropical weather of Indian subcontinent which
reminded soldiers of an idyllic past they had spent growing up in England “breeze of May
blowing over an English field”. This nostalgia reinvigorate the spirit of British soldiers and
establish them as epitome of nationalism who haven’t forgotten their fatherland England
at any cost.
• And at the face of such horrors the display of typical English bravery shown by the
soldiers, rightly deserve a mention in the annals of history and their contribution in
strengthening the banner of England should never to forgotten.
Part VII
Pibroach (music instrument): a form of music for bagpipes involving elaborate variations on a theme
typically of a marital or funerary quality.
 Finally the relief forces of Outram and Havelock have arrived for rescue.
 Havelock’s bravery receives a special mention.
 The poem ends with the familiar refrain wherein the flag of England still maintain its old position.
 However, Indian readers cannot help but notice the irony in the usage of a typically Scottish/Irish
musical instrument Pibroach which has been used for celebration by the British. Tennyson
denotes it as an instrument representative of the European musical tradition but that’s not the
case. Ireland like India was one of the British colony and in the poem Tennyson is celebrating the
bravery of English soldiers who have thwarted Indian rebellion freedom in their own country by
singing songs of bravery using a borrowed instrument from its other colony and claiming it as its
own.
 This kind of narrative strategy by Tennyson begs a question as to how obdurate English people
are towards racial, cultural and geographical specificities and sensibilities ? How long can they go
on singing songs of their own bravery and national might at expense of other’s rights to freedom
and love for their respective nation?
Critical Analysis
 This narrative poem is a lyrical commendation in verse of the courage of the

a few British soldiers who defended the fort of lucknow during the siege.
 The question is not the courage (for whichever way one looks at it, it is
indeed commendable) but more importantly why should the British be
defending something which does not belong to them in the first place.
 This kind of question is never inquired for the European imperialist was
convinced of his righteousness for being there.
 They have always considered themselves as the enlightened one’s and the
white man’s burden to civilise the dark savages.
 Colonial enterprise going by this logic was for the good of the natives. It is
this logic no matter how flawed and convoluted that informs the perspective
of the British soldier’s in this poem.
 The courage of British soldiers is attributed to the quality of “Englishness”,
Indians lacking this quality are not courageous enough
 The Indians are seen as “rebels”, “spies” and “ murderer” for speaking out against the
grand civilising enterprise of the colonisers and claiming what is rightfully theirs.
 In describing the “rebels” as “fiends” from hell Tennyson echoes Milton’s description of
Satan and his legions in the “Paradise Lost”. This brings into focus the moral binaries of
right/wrong, good/evil and more important/disobedience.
 In these paired oppositions it is not difficult to see who occupies the position of privilege.
 At work is a worldview that polarises the colonisers as white/subject/centre/superior/good
and the colonised always other/dark/peripheral/evil/inferior.
 This polarisation does not have any rational basis instead relies completely on values
arbitrarily attributed to physical differences of colour and facial characteristic.
 Franz Fanon in his book “Black Skin White Masks” rightly point out that the colonial
discourse also recognised the essential fictionality of the value attributed to these
characteristics.
 In the ultimate analysis, it is not surprising that this rather tediously long narrative poem
does not figure in most anthologies of Tennyson.
 Most critics have not bothered to critically engage with this poem because of its blatant
colonial rhetoric that lacks the desired literary merit.
 For us, however the colonial rhetoric in the poem offers a chance to explore and lay bare
the prejudices and lies of the colonial rhetoric and represent this pivotal event in our
history from our own perspective.

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The Defence of Lucknow: Some facts

 Originally written in March, 1879 it was published a month later in April,

• halyard (sailing jargon); meaning– Rope, tackle for lowering or raising

 This narrative poem is a lyrical commendation in verse of the courage of the

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