The Charge At Balaklava Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDB EFGGGF HIGGGI JGHHHG KALLLA MNOOON HPCCDP MQHHHQ GREEER GSGGGS ATJJJU OPOOOP PVDDCV HWXXXW XYJJJY OWZZZW AXWWWX AXZZZX OA2DDDB2 JXPPPX

Nolan halted where the squadronsA
Stood impatient of delayB
Out he drew his brief dispatchesC
Which their leader quickly snatchesC
At a glance their meaning catchesD
They are ordered to the frayB
-
All that morning they had waitedE
As their frowning faces showedF
Horses stamping riders frettingG
And their teeth together settingG
Not a single sword blade wettingG
As the battle ebbed and flowedF
-
Now the fevered spell is brokenH
Every man feels twice as largeI
Every heart is fiercely leapingG
As a lion roused from sleepingG
For they know they will be sweepingG
In a moment to the chargeI
-
Brightly gleam six hundred sabresJ
And the brazen trumpets ringG
Steeds are gathered spurs are drivenH
And the heavens widely rivenH
With a mad shout upward givenH
Scaring vultures on the wingG
-
Stern its meaning was not GalliaK
Looking down on Albion's sonsA
In each mind this thought implantedL
Undismayed and all undauntedL
By the battle fiends enchantedL
They ride down upon the gunsA
-
Onward On the chargers trampleM
Quicker falls each iron heelN
And the headlong pace grows fasterO
Noble steed and noble masterO
Rushing on to red disasterO
Where the heavy cannons pealN
-
In the van rides Captain NolanH
Soldier stout he was and braveP
And his shining sabre flashesC
As upon the foe he dashesC
God his face turns white as ashesD
He has ridden to his graveP
-
Down he fell prone from his saddleM
Without motion without breathQ
Never more a trump to wakenH
He the very first one takenH
From the bough so sorely shakenH
In the vintage time of DeathQ
-
In a moment in a twinklingG
He was gathered to his restR
In the time for which he'd waitedE
With his gallant heart elatedE
Down went Nolan decoratedE
With a death wound on his breastR
-
Comrades still are onward chargingG
He is lying on the sodS
Onward still their steeds are rushingG
Where the shot and shell are crushingG
From his corpse the blood is gushingG
And his soul is with his GodS
-
As they spur on what strange visionsA
Flit across each rider's brainT
Thoughts of maidens fair of mothersJ
Friends and sisters wives and brothersJ
Blent with images of othersJ
Whom they ne'er shall see againU
-
Onward still the squadrons thunderO
Knightly hearts were their's and braveP
Men and horses without numberO
All the furrowed ground encumberO
Falling fast to their last slumberO
Bloody slumber bloody graveP
-
Of that charge at BalaklavaP
In its chivalry sublimeV
Vivid grand historic pagesD
Shall descend to future agesD
Poets painters hoary sagesC
Shall record it for all timeV
-
Telling how those English horsemenH
Rode the Russian gunners downW
How with ranks all torn and shatteredX
How with helmets hacked and batteredX
How with sword arms blood bespatteredX
They won honor and renownW
-
'Twas not war but it was splendidX
As a dream of old romanceY
Thinking which their Gallic neighborsJ
Thrilled to watch them at their laborsJ
Hewing red graves with their sabresJ
In that wonderful advanceY
-
Down went many a gallant soldierO
Down went many a stout dragoonW
Lying grim and stark and goryZ
On the crimson field of gloryZ
Leaving us a noble storyZ
And their white cliffed home a boonW
-
Full of hopes and aspirationsA
Were their hearts at dawn of dayX
Now with forms all rent and brokenW
Bearing each some frightful tokenW
Of a scene ne'er to be spokenW
In their silent sleep they layX
-
Here a noble charger stiffensA
There his rider grasps the hiltX
Of his sabre lying bloodyZ
By his side upon the muddyZ
Trampled ground which darkly ruddyZ
Shows the blood that he has spiltX
-
And to night the moon shall shudderO
As she looks down on the moorA2
Where the dead of hostile racesD
Slumber slaughtered in their placesD
All their rigid ghastly facesD
Spattered hideously with goreB2
-
And the sleepers ah the sleepersJ
Make a Westminster that dayX
'Mid the seething battle's lavaP
And each man who fell shall have aP
Proud inscription BALAKLAVAP
Which shall never fade awayX

James Barron Hope



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