Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred;
For up came an order which
Some one had blundered.
"Forward, the light brigade!
Take the guns," Nolan said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the light brigade!"
No man was there dismayed,
Not though the soldier knew
Some one 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.

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.

Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed all at once in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while

All the world wondered: Plunged in the battery smoke, With many a desp'rate stroke The Russian line they broke; Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them,

Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell,

Those that had fought so well Came from the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them,

Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?

Oh the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the light brigade,

Noble six hundred.

ALFRED TENNYSON.

AIDS TO STUDY

1. What was the cause of the Crimean War? 2. What countries took part in the war? 3. What was the outcome of the struggle? 4. Tell what you know about the Light Brigade. 5. Locate Balaklava. 6. Who were the "six hundred"? 7. How had some one blundered? 8. How did the English soldiers show their prompt obedience? 9. What is the meaning of the order "to charge"? 10. Describe the encounter. 11. Why was the slaughter so terrible? 12. What impression did you get from reading the poem? 13. What characteristic of the combatants do you most admire?

Expressions for study:

charging an army

half a league

jaws of death

mouth of hell

sabring the gunners
valley of Death

It will help us to an appreciative understanding of this poem if we keep in mind the thought and feeling of the poet and the effort that he has made to express these thoughts and feelings. 1. What is the principal thought that the poet is trying to express? 2. Are there minor thoughts that help to build up and

complete this thought? 3. What are they? 4. How do these thoughts affect the author? 5. Is this feeling shown in the poem? Where? 6. Why did the poet put his thought in poetry? 7. Is there any resemblance between the rhythm of the verse and the gallop of horses? 8. Do you think the poet intended to bring out this resemblance? If so, why? 9. Where in the poem do you find word-pictures, scenes, that might be used for illustrations? 10. Do you consider them beautiful? Why? 11. Reread aloud the poem. 12. Give a synonym for onward, valley, dismayed, reply, sabres, charge, fade, honor, hero, boldly.

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

Whene'er across this sinful flesh of mine
I draw the Holy Sign,

All good thoughts stir within me, and renew
Their slumbering strength divine;

Till there springs up a courage high and true
To suffer and to do.

And who shall say, but hateful spirits around,
For their brief hour unbound,

Shudder to see, and wail their overthrow?
While on far heathen ground

Some lonely saint hails the faint odor, though
Its source he cannot know.

CARDINAL Newman.