Famous Gunners Poems by Famous Poets

These are examples of famous Gunners poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous gunners poems. These examples illustrate what a famous gunners poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).

See also:

Driver Smith

by Andrew Barton Paterson
 'Twas Driver Smith of Battery A was anxious to see a fight; 
He thought of the Transvaal all the day, he thought of it all the night -- 
"Well, if the battery's left behind, I'll go to the war," says he, 
"I'll go a-driving and ambulance in the ranks of the A.M.C. 
"I'm fairly sick of these here parades...Read more of this...

Charge of the Light Brigade

by Alfred Lord Tennyson
 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 dismay'd? 
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd: 
Their's not to make reply, 
Their's not to reason...Read more of this...

Screw-Guns

by Rudyard Kipling
 Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin' cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets -- 'Tss! 'Tss!
 For you all love the screw-guns -- the screw-guns they all love you!
...Read more of this...

Columns

by Rudyard Kipling
  (Mobile Columns of the Boer War)
Out o' the wilderness, dusty an' dry
 (Time, an' 'igh time to be trekkin' again!)
Oo is it 'eads to the Detail Supply?
 A sectioin, a pompom, an' six 'undred men.

'Ere comes the clerk with 'is lantern an' keys
 (Time, an 'igh time to be trekkin 'again!)
" Surplus of everything--draw what you please
 "For...Read more of this...

The Fighting T?m?raire

by Sir Henry Newbolt
 It was eight bells ringing, 
For the morning watch was done, 
And the gunner's lads were singing 
As they polished every gun. 
It was eight bells ringing, 
And the gunner's lads were singing, 
For the ship she rode a-swinging, 
As they polished every gun. 

Oh! to see the linstock lighting, 
T?m?raire! T?m?raire! 
Oh! to hear the round shot biting,...Read more of this...

The Charge of the Light Brigade

by Alfred Lord Tennyson
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 dismayed? 
Not though the soldier knew 
Some one had blundered: 
Their's not to...Read more of this...

With French to Kimberley

by Andrew Barton Paterson
 The Boers were down on Kimberley with siege and Maxim gun; 
The Boers were down on Kimberley, their numbers ten to one! 
Faint were the hopes the British had to make the struggle good -- 
Defenceless in an open plain the Diamond City stood. 
They built them forts with bags of sand, they fought from roof and wall, 
They...Read more of this...

With French to Kimberley

by Andrew Barton Paterson
 The Boers were down on Kimberley with siege and Maxim gun; 
The Boers were down on Kimberley, their numbers ten to one! 
Faint were the hopes the British had to make the struggle good -- 
Defenceless in an open plain the Diamond City stood. 
They built them forts with bags of sand, they fought from roof and wall, 
They...Read more of this...

The Battle of Abu Klea

by William Topaz McGonagall
 Ye sons of Mars, come join with me,
And sing in praise of Sir Herbert Stewart's little army,
That made ten thousand Arabs flee
At the charge of the bayonet at Abu Klea. 

General Stewart's force was about fifteen hundred all told,
A brave little band, but, like lions bold,
They fought under their brave and heroic commander,
As gallant and as skilful as the...Read more of this...

Lead Soldiers

by Amy Lowell
 The nursery fire burns brightly, crackling in cheerful 
little explosions
and trails of sparks up the back of the chimney. Miniature 
rockets
peppering the black bricks with golden stars, as though a gala
flamed a night of victorious wars.
The nodding mandarin on the bookcase moves his 
head forward and back, slowly,
and looks into the air with his blue-green eyes. He stares 
into...Read more of this...

What Have the Cavalry Done?

by Andrew Barton Paterson
 What have the cavalry done? 
Cantered and trotted about, 
Routin' the enemy out, 
Causin' the beggars to run! 
And we tramped along in the blazin' heat, 
Over the veldt on our weary feet. 
Tramp, tramp, tramp 
Under the blazin' sun, 
With never the sight of a bloomin' Boer, 
'Cause they'd hunted 'em long before -- 
That's what the cavalry...Read more of this...

With French to Kimberley

by Andrew Barton Paterson
 The Boers were down on Kimberley with siege and Maxim gun; 
The Boers were down on Kimberley, their numbers ten to one! 
Faint were the hopes the British had to make the struggle good -- 
Defenceless in an open plain the Diamond City stood. 
They built them forts with bags of sand, they fought from roof and wall, 
They...Read more of this...

The Jacket

by Rudyard Kipling
 Through the Plagues of Egyp' we was chasin' Arabi,
 Gettin' down an' shovin' in the sun;
An' you might 'ave called us dirty, an' you might ha' called us dry,
 An' you might 'ave 'eard us talkin' at the gun.
But the Captain 'ad 'is jacket, an' the jacket it was new --
 ('Orse Gunners, listen to my song!)
An' the wettin'...Read more of this...

Dont forget to view our wonderful member Gunners poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace