Famous penultimate words

(Or, from light verse to trite verse in one easy step)

1.
Here is the grave of Norman Ned -
This man is born, but not yet dead.
His life goes by from day to day
In (more or less) a normal way.

2.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league backward!
Out of the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Backward, the Light Brigade!
"Watch out for guns!" he said:
Out of the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.


3.
Jan stood upon the jagged cliff and cried
"I can't go on! This is the end of me!"
The clouds grew dark. The wind was cold. So Jan
Drove into town and had a cup of tea.

4.
The boy jumped off the burning deck...