C00l Poetry (Charge of the Light Brigade)

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 though the soldier knew

Someone had blunder'd.

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

Volley'd and 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.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,

Flash'd as they turn'd in air,

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wonder'd.

Plung'd in the battery-smoke,

Right thro' the line they broke.

Russian and Cossack,

Reel'd from the saber-stroke,

Shatter'd and sunder'd.

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,

As 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.

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

All the world wonder'd.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

*The cannons to the left of the cavalry when they charged were attacked by a French cavalry unit which destroyed the batteries. When they returned the cannons to their left became their right, so that part I don't understand. Also how can the cannons survive when they got charged? - Nx2