Scene – A Touch of Melancholy on My Part
Several of us huddled around a cell phone, trying to remember all the words while listening to Kenneth Branagh offer the lines that end:
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
The equivalent of three generations of vets with a civilian or two wondering what the fuss was all about. A look here and there said it all.
There it is… Made me feel good to share there, so I offer it here.
Category: Geezer Alert!
One of my favorite quotes from a play or poem, at least behind Gunga Din and Advice to a Young British Soldier. I mean, do get me wrong, Shakespeare is good, but, Kipling just seems to apply to my life a little bit better. That quote from Shakespeare really only applies to my Lodge and to my VFW and Legion posts….
Zero…
As a result of the elections in 2006, some blogging friends and I called ourselves “Crispians” (we’re all vets)and decided to rewrite that a wee bit to reflect that we band of orphans Of the Conservative persuasion would now stand together. LOVE THIS!
Shakespeare definitely knew how to turn a phrase. However, I prefer some of the writings of the founding father’s. Particularly Washington, a very upbeat general with a very poor record of Wins and Losses.
Oops that was me…
You left out the best part;
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
Jonn #5: Yeah, I opted not to post the whole thing. but, did I not capture that moment. I was proud to share it with you.
I love that scene and those words. Very few other speeches can fire the blood and raise the soul quite like Henry’s speech at Agincourt. His lines from the siege of Harfleur come close, but the St. Crispin’s day speech is still the best for my money.
Thanks for sharing.