’Twas vain the loud waves lashed the shore,
      Return or aid preventing;—­
    The waters wild went o’er his child,—­
      And he was left lamenting.

THOMAS CAMPBELL.

 THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” (1809-92) unlike “Casabianca” shows obedience under stern necessity.  Obedience is the salvation of any army.  John Burroughs says:  “I never hear that poem but what it thrills me through and through.”

    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 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 sabers bare,
    Flash’d as they turn’d in air
    Sab’ring the gunners there,
    Charging an army, while
      All the world wonder’d: 
    Plunged in the battery-smoke
    Right thro’ the line they broke;
    Cossack and Russian
    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
      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.

    When can their glory fade? 
    Oh, the wild charge they made! 
      All the world wondered. 
    Honour the charge they made! 
    Honour the Light Brigade—­
      Noble six hundred!

ALFRED TENNYSON.

 THE TOURNAMENT.

 There are several of Sidney Lanier’s (1842-81) poems that children love
 to learn.  “Tampa Robins,” “The Tournament” (Joust 1.), “Barnacles,”
“The Song of the Chattahoochee,” and “The First Steamboat Up the
 Alabama” are among them.  At our “poetry contests” the children have
 plainly demonstrated that this great poet has reached his hand down to
 the youngest.  The time will doubtless come when it will be a part of
 education to be acquainted with Lanier, as it is now to be acquainted
 with Longfellow or Tennyson.