The reality of war in Crane's War is kind and Tennyson's Charge of the Light BrigadeAn overwhelming tendency to fight and fight has plagued humanity since the dawn of written word. Countless wars have been fought since the dawn of man, and in most cases such conflicts exist simply for their own sake, without any productive purpose. Immense human suffering and death can be caused by conflicts that have little logical justification. Since the birth of the written word, criticism and discussion have insistently followed the topic of war. In exposing the grim reality of war, two literary works stand out as vivid and compelling. Through similar uses of graphic imagery and forceful diction, both Stephen Crane in his "Do Not Weep, Maiden, for War is Kind" and Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his "The Charge of the Light Brigade" evoke strong feelings about the reality of war. . “The Charge” offers a slightly more glorified view of war while still representing its harsh essence. Stephen Crane in his "Do Not Weep, Maiden, for War is Kind" uses several methods to convey his perception of war; more startlingly raw images. At the beginning of the poem, a woman mourns the death of her lover who, left to die on the battlefield, "threw his wild hands towards the sky" (2). Her posture illustrates the physical pain she felt as well as the longing she felt for her lover and her lost life (Cady 102). He raised his hands towards the sky in a vain attempt to reach her and the life that had been taken away from him. Crane's next stanza portrays the image of troops marching to their deaths, men "born to drill and die" (8). Crane goes to great lengths to show the blind trust that soldiers are forced to place in their leaders. The soldiers knew li...... middle of paper...... popular phenomenon when it forces people to make great sacrifices that do not lead to a sufficiently important goal. Works Cited Cady, Edwin H. Stephen Crane. Twayne Publishers. 1980: 100-160 Foltinek, Herbert. “'It's No Reason Why': Alfred Lord Tennyson on the Human Condition.” Yearbook of Studies in English Language and Literature 80 1985-1986: 27-38Knapp, Bettina L. Stephen Crane. New York: Ungar Publishing Company, 1987. 136-140Lowell, Amy. "Introduction" in The Black Riders and other verses. vol. VI Russel & Russell. 1963: ix-xxixPinion, FB A Comparison with Tennyson: Life and Works. The Macmillan Press Ltd. 1984Saintsbury, George. "Tennyson." Correct Impressions: Essays on Victorian Writers. Dodd, Mead and company. 1985: 21-30. Whitman, Walt. "A word about Tennyson." The critic 10 Jan. 1987: 1-2