Poetry

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) was a Poet Laureate of the UK. With the exception of Shakespeare, he is perhaps the most quoted English writer of all time. In fact, quotations from some of his works have become so integrated into common usage in the English language that many people are not even aware of the source of the lines when they use them in conversation. See if you can recognize one of these well-used quotations in the following excerpt from his famous poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade":

The Charge Of The Light Brigade

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Memorializing Events in the Battle of Balaclava, October 25, 1854
Written 1854

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.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & 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
Volley'd & 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.

Note: This post is dedicated to one of our former employees who used to work in the Children's Department. Those of you who worked with her will know why. If you're still out there reading the blog, Rita, we miss you!