Published The Examiner, 9 Dec. 1854, signed ‘A.T.’; then 1855. The Crimean charge took place 25 Oct. 1854; cp. The Charge of the Heavy Brigade (III 92). Written 2 Dec. 1854, ‘in a few minutes, after reading … The Times in which occurred the phrase “some one had blundered”, and this was the origin of the metre of his poem’ (Mem. i 381). The editorial (13 Nov.) in fact spoke of ‘some hideous blunder’. T. also drew on the report (14 Nov.), where – as he says – ‘only 607 sabres are mentioned’. T. wrote to Forster, 6 Dec: ‘Six is much better than seven hundred (as I think) metrically so keep it’ (Letters ii 101).
The textual history of the poem, including a full account of the MSS and a record of all variants, along with a critical discussion (including of the relation to The Times), is told in E. F. Shannon and C. Ricks, SB xxxviii (1985) 1–44. On the relation of the poem to history and ideology, see J. J. McGann, The Beauty of Inflections (1985), pp. 190–203. T. soon deplored the 1855 revision, which omitted ll. 5–12 (‘Some one had blundered’) and closed feebly. He reverted in 1856 to earlier readings. ‘Not a poem on which I pique myself’ (Mem. i 409–10); at one stage he intended to omit it from the 2nd edition of Maud, and Other Poems (Virginia).
Sources: Drayton’s Ballad of Agincourt was suggested at least as early as 1872; T. said it ‘was not in my mind; my poem is dactyllic’. Chatterton’s Song to Ælla is similar in rhythm, form, and theme, e.g., ‘Down to the depth of hell/Thousands of Dacyanns went …’. T. may have remembered it unconsciously.
On T.’s recording made in 1890, see B. Maxwell, TRB iii (1980) 150–7.
I
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
Rode the six hundred.
‘Forward, the Light 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
Some one had blundered:
Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s 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.
Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right 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 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,
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.
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
¶315. 3. the valley of Death: The Times called it ‘that valley of death’ (13 Nov.).
5–8] 1856; 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. 1854 as separate stanza;
‘Charge,’ was the captain’s cry; 1855.
9–12] 1856; …/No man was there dismayed, / … 1854; not 1855.
13–14] Transposed 1855.
17. hundred: pronounced ‘hunderd’ in Lincolnshire, according to T.’s friend W. F. Rawnsley.
27–32. ‘Through the clouds of smoke we could see their sabres flashing’ (The Times).
28. as they turned] 1856; all at once 1854–5.
33] 1856; With many a desperate stroke 1854; Fiercely the line … 1855.
34] 1856; The Russian line they broke; 1854; Strong was the sabre-stroke; 1855.
35–6] 1856; not 1854; Making an army reel
Shaken and sundered. 1855
44] 1854, 1856; not 1855.
45. fought] 1854, 1856; struck 1855.
46. Came] 1854, 1856; Rode 1855. through] 1855; from 1854.
46^7] Half a league back again, 1855.
47. Back] 1854, 1856; Up 1855.
49. ‘Only 195 returned’ (T.).
50–55] 1854, 1856; Honour the brave and bold!
Long shall the tale be told,
Yea, when our babes are old –
How they rode onward. 1855