Posted on 08/09/2023 8:05:26 AM PDT by BEJ
The madness of the war in Ukraine reminds me of the poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" by Lord Tennyson. Here it is with certain liberties taken:
Charge of the Zelensky Brigade
I
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode in the six hundred. “Forward, the Zelensky Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said. Into the valley of Death Rode in the six hundred
II
“Forward, the Zelensky Brigade!” Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Zelensky had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death Rode in the six hundred.
III
Drones to right of them, Drones to left of them, Artillery 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 in the six hundred.
IV
Flashed all their cluster munitions bare, Flashed as they turned in air Hitting their own gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered. Plunged in the battery-smoke But the first line wasn't broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the stark joke Shattered and sundered, They rode back, but not Not the six hundred.
V
Helicopters to the right of them, Minefields to the left of them, Tanks behind them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While the Leopards and Bradelys 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 Zelensky Brigade, Noble six hundred!
Tennyson's poem is about the 1853 Crimean War and takes place in more or less the same area of the world where the war is being fought today. I find that a weird coincidence. But today there is a charge of the Light Brigand taking place every day, and with no end in sight. Unfortunately, the West doesn't see that as a blunder. Maybe somebody will write a poem about that eventually.
“The poem that reflects today’s war reality.”
Well, that poem reflected one battle in the Crimean War, but in reality, the war as a whole was a disaster and defeat for Russia.
The blunders of generals are buried.
“Forward”, he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
The general sat and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” So said Socrates, the wisest of the Ancient Greeks.
I never had to study it, but I believe this poem was often a part of the school curriculum for Junior High students.
Two other Classic Era poems I used to hear about were
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s
The Song of Hiawatha
Paul Revere’s Ride.
Some students were expected to memorize those poems and recite them by heart in front of the class.
Maybe they still do, but, for many reasons, I doubt it.
Not a poem.
A hip hop screed. Probably in a slavic based language. Or the lyrics of a death metal song in a slavic language — that would work too.
BTTT
I had to memorize parts of it in school.
A little Floyd no doubt.
Yes, but that battle now goes on each day with terrible casualties and lose of equipment for the Ukrainians.
Waving the rainbow flag
Marxism - atheism - diversity - communism
Pc usa
“Tennyson’s poem is about the 1853 Crimean War and takes place in more or less the same area of the world where the war is being fought today. I find that a weird coincidence.”
It’s actually not a coincidence. The Brits have had a psycho obsession with Russia for 180 years at least. Back then they worried the Czar might to to move into India. Today India is not longer British. Communism came and went. But still, the idiot Brits march on with their “control Russia” obsession.
Well thank you for that — I never dreamed there was this clip of kids reciting it! You probably never see that today.
And the funny thing is that the British Royal family is related to Czar Nicholas. You would think there would be some reciprocity and ties toward each other’s nation.
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