The poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson called
The Charge of the Light Brigade is often misquoted. Lines 14 and 15 are commonly spoken as "Ours is not to ask why, but to do or die", or something similar. The key here is that a choice is present; "do
or die". In other words, we follow our orders or be will held accountable. Or perhaps, do or die trying.
However, within the actual poem (below), such a choice never is present. The lines are actually "Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die". The soldiers of the poem never question their order, even though the order is clearly erroneous. For these soldiers, these six hundred brigaders, a choice is never even in their thoughts. They would ride headlong into cannon fire, being cut to pieces, while knowing there was no hope of success nor life afterwards.
When one applies this poem to one's own situation, the phrase "do and die" is far more powerful, potent and critical. No choice is available, even though the required action surely leads to failure. In this regard, one might be unintentionally critiquing their orders as folly.
Of course, the poem is poetic. Though the poem does mention some survivors, it romanticizes the sacrifice of the brigade on the whole. In reality, many of the soldiers survived. Further, history has characterised the order to charge as a misunderstanding or miscommunication. However, the order being a mistake of some sort is not undermined by the fact that some brigaders survived. The
Light Brigade was decimated in their charge of the cannons, and that decimation was obviously inevitable.
The Charge of the Light Brigade
I
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.
II
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
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.
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.
IV
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.
VI
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
