The Last of the Light Brigade
There were thirty million English who talked of England's might,
There were twenty broken troopers who lacked a bed for the night.
They had neither food nor money, they had neither service nor trade;
They were only shiftless soldiers, the last of the Light Brigade.
They felt that life was fleeting; they knew not that art was long,
That though they were dying of famine, they lived in deathless song.
They asked for a little money to keep the wolf from the door;
And the thirty million English sent twenty pounds and four!
They laid their heads together that were scarred and lined and grey;
Keen were the Russian sabres, but want was keener than they;
And an old Troop-Sergeant muttered, "Let us go to the man who writes
The things on Balaclava the kiddies at school recites."
They went without bands or colours, a regiment ten-file strong,
To look for the Master-singer who had crowned them all in his song;
And, waiting his servant's order, by the garden gate they stayed,
A desolate little cluster, the last of the Light Brigade.
They strove to stand to attention, to straighten the toil-bowed back;
They drilled on an empty stomach, the loose-knit files fell slack;
With stooping of weary shoulders, in garments tattered and frayed,
They shambled into his presence, the last of the Light Brigade.
The old Troop-Sergeant was spokesman, and "Beggin' your pardon," he said,
"You wrote o' the Light Brigade, sir. Here's all that isn't dead.
An' it's all come true what you wrote, sir, regardin' the mouth of hell;
For we're all of us nigh to the workhouse, an, we thought we'd call an' tell.
"No, thank you, we don't want food, sir; but couldn't you take an' write
A sort of 'to be continued' and 'see next page' o' the fight?
We think that someone has blundered, an' couldn't you tell 'em how?
You wrote we were heroes once, sir. Please, write we are starving now."
The poor little army departed, limping and lean and forlorn.
And the heart of the Master-singer grew hot with "the scorn of scorn."
And he wrote for them wonderful verses that swept the land like flame,
Till the fatted souls of the English were scourged with the thing called Shame.
O thirty million English that babble of England's might,
Behold there are twenty heroes who lack their food to-night;
Our children's children are lisping to "honour the charge they made-"
And we leave to the streets and the workhouse the charge of the Light Brigade!
Commentary
(1891)
Surprisingly enough, this is not one of Kipling’s better known poems. Or, perhaps, not so surprising - while Tennyson’s account of heroism in the face of overwhelming odds caught and stirred the public imagination, Kipling’s scathingly acid revelation of the way the world treated its heroes seems, like most of the uncomfortable details connected with the war, to have been swept under the carpet. There is a glamour inherent in the charge of the Light Brigade - even though it was obvious “someone had blunder’d” - that the real life plight of Thomas Atkins, Esq., cannot match.
And of course, it was Thomas Atkins that Kipling was chiefly concerned with. From his magnificent ‘Tommy’ to the unforgettable ‘Gunga Din’, Kipling saw war neither as the noble endeavour earlier poets made it out to be (sometimes stirringly heroic, sometimes ineffably sad, but always noble) or as the graphic nightmare later poets (most notably Wilfred Owen) splahsed across the world’s consciousness. Kipling’s war poems were highly personal; his soldiers ordinary men doing a misunderstood and underappreciated job in the best way they could. (Like much else of Kipling, this attitude is no longer fashionable; the which, of course, detracts nothing from his poetry, but does help explain its fluctuating repute).
Personally? This is one of those poems to which comments seem almost superfluous - suffice it to say that it made me shiver.
References
“Dowered with the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn, The love of love.”
– Tennyson, ‘The Poet’.
"Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
– Tennyson, ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
Oh, and don’t miss the pun at the end :)
Links and Background:
For more on Kipling’s war poetry, see the commentary to Tommy (poem #43)
For more background information on the Crimean war and the Light Brigade, see Tennyson’s famous poem and the accompanying comments, poem #355
How rooted in fact is today’s poem? I couldn’t find too many references - there was the following…
“Kipling could make topical social comment with his poems and often did so. His poem “The Last of The Light Brigade took in context Tennyson’s The Charge of The Light Brigade and the inexcusable treatment that the British Government gave the surviving veterans of that battle of Balakava during the Crimean War (where Florence Nightengale achieved immortatlity as a nurse).”
– http://www.netten.net/~bmassey/page4.html#Kipling
but there is no evidence that Tennyson ‘wrote for them wonderful verses that swept the land like flame’. Still, all in all the rest is highly believable - to quote Suresh Ramasubramanian’s comment on the previous poem, “Lord Cardigan, after the battle, calmly went back to his yacht and had dinner, as usual. That huge and senseless loss was par for the course.”
And finally, for a Kipling biography, assessments and other random information, see the comments attached to his many other poems on Minstrels, The Wondering Minstrels
— Martin
Show 11 commentsHide comments
From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
McCormack · 14 June 2001
the first I have ever heard(?) of this poem, but it is typical of the attitude of the English to those who have served them, unless that is you are a nobleman(?) or a relative of the ruling classes. It should be a part of the Palgraves golden treasury of English verse. Thankyou.
Brosemer Kathleen · 7 August 2002
Compare with a verse from Ralph McTell’s “Streets of London:”
Have you seen the old man
outside the Seaman’s mission
memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears. In our winter city
the rain cries a little pity
for one more forgotten hero
and a world that doesn’t care
rharrison · 5 November 2002
Funny it is how the times do not change. We live in a country where Veterans litter the streets, limbs missing, begging for scraps, while we, gifted their generosity & bravery, pass them over, or stop to give just a few pennies. Tip or tithe, what do YOU give (if, in fact, you do give)? The following would make an excellent score, were THE LAST OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE to be performed.
BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?
(Gorney, Harburg)
They used to tell me
I was building a dream.
And so I followed the mob
When there was earth to plow
Or guns to bear
I was always there
Right on the job.
They used to tell me
I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead.
Why should I be standing in line
Just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad
I made it run
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad
Now it’s done
Brother, can you spare a dime?
RonaldBallSr · 25 December 2002
I had mentioned this poem to a friend and remembered reading it in an old worn out book in our library. I was shocked that I had a difficult time finding it on the web. Maybe it’s not a popular thought. Let me rephrase that. Maybe truth isn’t a popular thought in our nation. I work at a VA medical center and will use this in training our employees in customer service.
Ron
GerryGadney · 27 September 2003
I thought I knew most of Kipling’s Poetry, so this surprised me. It also reduced me to tears, not perhaps a very manly admission. All war deaths are the result of the ignorance and arrogance of our politicians. Alas, in the UK, shortly to be renamed HMP.UK, the greed for power has made the noun “Politician” a synonym for Liar. I despise them. Oh, before any one takes me for a creeping coward, I once wore khaki. Regards and thank you for this poem. Gerry Gadney
BOB GEER · 19 April 2004
the first verse of this song is really good and touches you
Mitchel Woolard · 28 March 2006
From my experience - that is typical of all goverments (and the public) regarding their respective vetrans (who are us) even in America since the Revolution when we were the guerrillas against the establishment. This country continues to give only lip service to its vetrans. As a Opns Agents in VN, we received only the AEF (America’s Expendible Forces) medal and remain unrecognized as vetrans. I feel for those who have followed as special operatives since in San Salvador, Afghanistan, Iraq and other American debacles. We are all young once and foolish, falling prey to political greed and intrigue.
Mitchel R Woolard, SP5, MAAG Team 96, Viet Nam IV Corps
Peter Merchant · 14 August 2006
How relevant in 2006 still!
Peter Merchant
Jim Wise · 15 February 2007
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Kipling in his poem points out the error of those who are all for the fashionable positions and glamorous speeches tied to a war, but want nothing to do with the people and issues affected by it.
Sadly, although the fashionable political stance has changed, this practice has not – as made sadly clear by a line of posters rushing to make political comments on government and war with only a tangential obligatory reference to the poem being discussed.
Plus ça change…
- –
Jim Wise
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PHILIP DALE · 21 February 2007
I am 22 years old, im english and damn proud of it, i would give my life for god, queen, country and love in that order. not afraid of much or easily angered. I have listened to Alfred Tennyson’s poem many times, and every time i wish i was there along side them. Now after reading this i am close to tears for those brave souls, not for what they did but for why they did it. they fought for there country and lost their friends no, their brothers believing in a greater cause then themselves. and to come back to a place where no-one will evan feed them whilst they enjoy listning to what they did, it truly shocks me to my core. and as i sit and write this i cant help but think howmany of us have gone outside and helped a old gentleman cross the road, or a war vetran do his shopping. given that little old lady money for the bus. I can say probely none of us, and it makes me feel ashamed to be called human. Well i’m glad i’m only 22 becasue at least i have a chance to change that. I don’t plan to die for my country now, but i plan to live for the people of it.
LEO SIGRIST · 11 August 2007
Ah war. There it is. Always about those would would oppress and those who oppose oppression. Simple as that. But it is always a blunder. A political catastrophe of the worst kind. In the end, it comes to pass as certain as the tides ebb and flow. What ever your views on war in these polarized times politically, take heed of Kipling’s words. Never forget those who do and dye.
Signed,
A humble veteran