poesy, varying II voices of the Light Brigade!” “Forward, prayer? Was there a man dismayed? All that is Not though the soldier knew noblest, all Someone had blundered. that is Theirs not to make reply, basest, all Theirs not to reason why, that is filthy Theirs but to do and die. with all that Into the valley of Death is fair? Rode the six hundred. What is it all, III if we all of us Cannon to right of them, end but in Cannon to left of them, our own Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered; at Stormed at with shot and shell, last, Boldly they rode and well, Swallow’d in Into the jaws of Death, Vastness, Into the mouth of hell lost in Rode the six hundred. Silence, drown’d in IV the deeps of Flashed all their sabres bare, a Flashed as they turned in air meaningless Sabring the gunners there, Past? Charging an army, while All the wondered. What but a 35 Plunged in the battery-smoke murmur of through the line they broke; gnats in the Cossack and Russian gloom, or a Reeled from the sabre stroke moment’s Shattered and sundered. anger of Then they rode back, but not bees in their Not the six hundred. hive?— V Cannon to of them, Peace, let it Cannon to left of them, be! for I Cannon behind them loved him, Volleyed and thundered; and love him Stormed at with shot and shell, for ever: the While horse and hero fell. dead are not They that had fought so well dead but Came through the jaws of Death, alive. Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE VI I When can their glory fade? Half a league, half a league, O the wild charge they made! Half a league onward, All the wondered. All in the valley of Death Honour the charge they made! Rode the six hundred. Honour the Light Brigade, the Brigade! “Forward, Noble six hundred! Charge for the guns!” he said. Into the valley of Death THE KRAKEN Rode the six hundred.
poesy, varying voices of prayer? All that is noblest, all that is basest, all that is filthy with all that is fair? What is it all, if we all of us end but in our own at last, Swallow’d in Vastness, lost in Silence, drown’d in the deeps of a meaningless Past? What but a murmur of gnats in the gloom, or a moment’s anger of bees in their hive?— 35 Peace, let it be! for I loved him, and love him for ever: the dead are not dead but alive. THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE I Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. “Forward, the Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. II “Forward, the Light Brigade!” Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered. 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. III Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of hell Rode the six hundred. IV Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the wondered. Plunged in the battery-smoke through the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the sabre stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. V Cannon to of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell. They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. VI When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the wondered. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! THE KRAKEN