The Destruction Of Sennacherib

• What simile does Byron use to describe the Assyrians?

  ‘Like a wolf’
• What effect does the simile ‘like a wolf’ have on the Assyrians?

  It makes them sound fierce and dehumanizes them
• What does the description of the Assyrian army suggest about their approach to Jerusalem?

  They are proud and confident, not sneaky
• What does the ‘rust’ on the mail of the dead Assyrian soldier symbolize?

  The loss of glamour in the face of Christianity
• What is the structure of the poem 'The Destruction of Sennacherib'?

  • Composed of six quatrains
  • Uses rhyming couplets consistently
  • Reflects dependability on God for Jerusalem's defense
• What effect does the meter of the poem create?

  It produces a buoyant rhythm
• What does the volta in stanza two signify?

  The shift from Assyrian power to their defeat
• How does Byron use the image of a forest in stanza two?

  To show the Assyrians in their prime and then destroyed
• What does the end-stopped structure of each line suggest?

  Containment of the Assyrian soldiers' fate
• What Biblical event does 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' allude to?

  Sennacherib’s attack on Jerusalem
• What significant event happened to the Temple of Baal in 2015?

  It was partially destroyed by ISIS
• What movement was Byron a key figure in?

  The Romantic Movement
• What themes are evident in 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' related to Romanticism?

  Exotic cultures and supernatural events
• Like a wolf


  Used by Byron to describe the Assyrians, emphasizing their ferocity and making them seem less human
• Their appearance


  Purple and gold, symbolizing their pride and confidence in their advance on Jerusalem
• What simile does Byron use to describe the Assyrians?

  'Like a wolf'
• How is the Assyrian army described in terms of their appearance?

  Gleaming in purple and gold
• What does the description of the Assyrian army suggest about their approach to Jerusalem?

  They are proud and confident, not sneaky
• What does the temporal language in stanza two indicate about the Assyrian army's fate?

  They are defeated in just one night
• What does the Angel of Death do to defeat the Assyrians?

  He only 'breathed' on them
• What does the action of the Angel of Death suggest about his power?

  It demonstrates the power of God
• What type of imagery is prevalent in the first stanza?

  Imagery related to light
• What does the 'sheen' on the soldiers' spears signify?

  They are a well-equipped army
• How does the image of the dead horse contribute to the poem's emotional impact?

  It brings pathos and highlights innocence
• What does the 'rust' on the dead Assyrian soldier's mail symbolize?

  Loss of glamour in the face of Christianity
• What does the simile ‘melted like snow’ emphasize about the Assyrians?

  They were no match for the Angel of Death
• What does the phrase ‘the glance of the Lord!’ suggest about God's power?

  God needed little effort to defeat them
• What is the structure of the poem in terms of stanzas and rhyme?

  • Six quatrains
  • Consistent rhyming couplets
• How does the poem's form reflect the faith of Jerusalem's people?

  It shows their dependence on God for defense
• What effect does the meter of the poem create?

  A buoyant rhythm at odds with events
• What does the volta in stanza two signify?

  Shift from Assyrian power to God's power
• What imagery does Byron use in line 5 to describe the Assyrians?

  An image of a forest in summer
• How does the image of a forest relate to the Assyrians in line 7?

  It shows they are in their prime
• What does the repetition in stanza two emphasize about the Assyrians?

  It emphasizes that the Assyrians have been destroyed
• How does the structure of stanza two contribute to the poem's theme?

  It shows the speed of the 'Angel of Death'
• What is detailed in stanza five of the poem?

  The still and silent battlefield
• What does the juxtaposition in stanza six reveal about war's consequences?

  It shows the grief of the widows
• What do the widows question after the battle?

  They question their culture and faith
• How is the structure of the lines in the poem described?

  Every line is end-stopped
• What does the end-stopped structure reflect about the Assyrian soldiers?

  They could not escape fatal actions