The Destruction of Sennacherib

• Who wrote the poem "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?

  Lord Byron
• What literary movement is Lord Byron associated with?


  Romanticism
• What type of poem is "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?


  Biblical, from the Old Testament
• What does the semantic field in the poem primarily describe?


  Nature to describe the horror of conflicts
• What does the title "The Destruction of Sennacherib" represent?


  The destruction of his reputation
• What is the structure of the poem?

  Quatrain
• What literary device does the poet use to signify the contrast between nature and the weapons of war?


  Juxtaposition
• What does the writer juxtapose throughout the poem?


  Nature and the weapons of war
• Why is the juxtaposition of nature and weapons of war relevant to romantic poets?


  Weapons are man-made whereas nature isn't, highlighting mankind's role in destruction
• What is the rhyming pattern of the poem?


  Couplets, aabb
• What does the rhythm of the poem resemble?


  The rhythm resembles marching or horses galloping, creating a sense of power
• What is the main subject of the poem?

  The poem retells a story from the Old Testament where God's army destroys King Sennacherib's Assyrian army
• What simile does the writer use in the first stanza?


  The Assyrians came down like the wolf on the fold
• What is repeated in the first stanza?

  The letter 's'
• Why is the letter 's' repeated in the first stanza?


  It implies sneaking up, indicating the enemy has no idea
• Why is the simile 'like the leaves of the forest when summer is green' used in the second stanza?


  To represent that life there is beautiful
• Why are contrasting similes used in the second stanza?


  To represent the destruction before and after
• Why is the letter 'h' repeated in the third stanza?


  It creates a heavy sound, implying one last struggle
• What does "with his nostril all wide" mean literally and metaphorically?


  The death of the horses and the death of the people
• How does "and the foam of his gasping" relate to the semantic field?


  It could be interpreted as the froth of the sea
• What is significant about the "trumpet unblown" in the fourth stanza?


  It usually represents the start or end of a war, but everyone is destroyed
• What does the destruction of Sennacherib best compare to?


  It compares to the effects of war on a nation
• What similarities exist between "The Destruction of Sennacherib" and "What Were They Like?"?


  Both poems examine the effects of war on a nation and use literary devices like alliteration and similes
• What are the differences in structure between "The Destruction of Sennacherib" and "What Were They Like?"?

  Byron uses a regular poetic form of quatrains, while Lervatov uses two blocks of free verse
• What is the difference in tone between "What Were They Like?" and "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?


  Byron has a more neutral tone recalling past events, while Lervatov has an angrier tone recalling recent events
• What other poems could "The Destruction of Sennacherib" be compared to?

  The Charge of the Light Brigade, Exposure
• What quote shows how helpless the people were?

  'The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold'
• What quote shows that they were ready to attack although the people were oblivious?


  'And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea'
• What quote shows the before and after of the battle?

  'Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green; like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown'
• What quote shows how nothing is left behind after God comes in, yet they try one last time?


  'And their hearts but once heaved'
• What quote shows everything is destroyed?

  'The trumpet unblown'
• Which quote shows the violence is replaced by silence?


  'And there the rider lay distorted and pale'
• What quote represents the way in which a predator comes upon the innocent?

  'The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold' (simile)
• What quote shows the making of weapons in comparison to nature?

  'And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea' (alliteration, simile)
• What quote shows life before compared to life suffering the aftermath?

  'Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green' (simile, life is beautiful); 'like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown' (simile, death, fallen leaves)
• What quote shows how nobody is left behind and the exhaustion of the war?


  'And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill and their hearts but once heaved' (heavy sound, alliteration)
• What quote shows the destruction and aftermath of the war?


  'And the tents were all silent, the banners alone' (nature, destroyed)
• What is the context of "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?


  • A short narrative poem retelling a Biblical story
  • God destroys King Sennacherib's Assyrian army attacking Jerusalem
  • Written by Romantic poet Lord Byron
  • Allegory about Napoleon's invasion of Europe
  • Based on the Old Testament story from 'Books of Kings'
  • Written in 1815 CE
• What happens in each stanza of "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?

  1. The Assyrians prepare to fight
  2. The Assyrians are defeated
  3. God's emissary kills soldiers in their sleep
  4. God has killed the horses, highlighting his mercilessness
  5. Vivid description of the aftermath of the angel's attack
  6. Women mourn the deaths of soldiers; idols of the Assyrian God are destroyed
• What is the rhyme scheme and meter of "The Destruction of Sennacherib"?


  • Rhyme scheme: Regular AABB quatrains in rhyming couplets
  • Meter: Anapestic tetrameter