Cannon to right of them, Volley'd and thunder'd; Rode the six hundred. Flash'd all their sabres bare, 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 Then they rode back,- but not Not the six hundred. 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. When can their glory fade? Oh, the wild charge they made! All the world wonder'd. Honor the charge they made! Honor the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! SUGGESTIVE EXERCISES NOTE: Look up carefully in some English or General History or Encyclopaedia the siege of Sebastopol and the attendant movements during the Crimean War. 1. What movement is imitated in the first two lines? 2. What situation is hinted at in the next two lines? 3. Who says the words following? 4. How does the meaning of the last two lines differ from that of lines three and four? 5. Why repeat the command at the opening of the second stanza? 6. What is the purpose of the question in the second line? 7. What tells the character of these soldiers? 8. Why use "cannon" three times in stanza three? 9. Explain "jaws of Death," "mouth of Hell." 10. How does the ending of this stanza differ from that of the first two stanzas? 11. What does "charging an army" show? 12. Explain plunged, broke, reeled, shattered. 13. Why are the dashes used in next to the last line? 14. How does the situation at the opening of stanza five compare with that in stanza three? 15. What tells of the mercilessness of the enemy's fire? Contrast the situation here with that in stanza three. 16. Why are the dashes used here? 17. What answer to the question in the first line of the last stanza? 18. For what should this Light Brigade be honored? 19. In what did their nobility consist? 20. Why should this poem become such a favorite among the common people as well as among the British soldiers? REFERENCES NEWBOLT: Gillespie. EDWIN ARNOLD: Armageddon. MACAULAY: Horatius at the Bridge. HEMANS: Casabianca. TENNYSON: Charge of the Heavy Brigade. BURNS: Bannockburn. RILEY: The Silent Victors. A. B. MEEK: Balaklava. A A CHRISTMAS CAROL J. G. HOLLAND LL Christmas literature worth while has been drawn from the same source. The source of inspiration of this Christmas poem, and of all other worthy Christmas literature, is in the following familiar extracts from Bible literature: And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone 'round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! And the shepherds came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.-Luke 2. Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood young child was. And when they were over where the come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. -Matt. 2. And the star rains its fire while the Beautiful sing, There's a tumult of joy O'er the wonderful birth, Is the Lord of the earth. Ay! the star rains its fire and the Beautiful sing, In the light of that star Has swept over the world. Every hearth is aflame, and the Beautiful sing We rejoice in the light, And we echo the song That comes down through the night From the heavenly throng. Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring, SUGGESTIVE EXERCISES 1. Who were "the Beautiful"? 2. Why a "tumult" of joy over this wonderful birth? 3. Look up in any good encyclopedia how pearls are formed. *From "The Complete Poetical Writings of J. G. Holland"; copyright, 1879, 1881, by Charles Scribner's Sons. |