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Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Charge of the Light Brigade

As noted, yesterday was St. Crispin Day, it was also the anniversary of the Battle of Balaclava and the tragic Charge of the Light Brigade:



1.

Half a league, half a league,
   Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

2.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
  Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

3.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

4.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

5.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

6.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

3 comments:

  1. One of the few poems you can read to a class of boys and hold their interest (hey, how many poems are made into Errol Flynn movies?).

    But what about the Battle of Baklava?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Battle of Balaclava If and Invictus are also great poems that most boys will listen to if read to them.

      Delete
  2. I like the Alfalfa version better. :D

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz3u0hPOTqw

    ReplyDelete

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