The Destruction of Sennacherib

Quiz: The Destruction of Sennacherib by George Gordon Byron

1. Recall – Form & Meter: What is the dominant metrical pattern in The Destruction of Sennacherib, and what effect does Byron create with it?

1. Recall – Context: In which collection was The Destruction of Sennacherib published, and what was distinctive about the intended performance or presentation of those poems?

1. Recall – Opening Image: To what animal does Byron compare the Assyrian army in the poem's famous opening simile, and what does this comparison imply about the army's relationship to Jerusalem?

1. Recall – Agent of Destruction: According to the poem's analysis, what is the agent of destruction, and how is the killing carried out in an unusual, non-violent manner?

1. Comprehension – Structural Shift: How does Byron use the image of leaves in the second stanza to create a dramatic before-and-after contrast, and what does this image suggest about the army's fate?

1. Comprehension – Close-Up Detail: In the fourth stanza, Byron focuses on a single dead warhorse. Why is this detail significant, and what does it achieve that a description of the whole army could not?

1. Comprehension – Final Stanza: What three outcomes of the army's defeat are revealed in the final stanza, and what theological conclusion does Byron draw from them?

1. Analysis – Symbolism of Rust: The armor that gleamed at the poem's opening is described as rusting by stanza five. What does this symbol of rust convey, and how does its sudden appearance enhance the poem's impact?

1. Analysis – Historical Parallels: Published in 1815 during the Napoleonic Wars, the poem was understood by contemporaries to have a topical parallel. Identify this parallel and explain how the poem's central narrative relates to it.

1. Analysis – Divine vs. Human Power: Throughout the poem, Byron contrasts the spectacle of human military force with the silent efficiency of divine power. Using at least TWO details from the analysis (e.g., specific symbols or stanza-level choices), explain how this contrast reinforces the poem's central theme.

Answer Key

1. The dominant meter is anapestic (da-da-DUM), creating a galloping, relentless drive that reflects the army's march; this heightens the sudden stillness at the poem's end, making it striking and impactful.

1. It was published in Hebrew Melodies (1815), a collection of poems inspired by Jewish scripture set to traditional synagogue tunes by composer Isaac Nathan.

1. Byron compares the Assyrian army to a wolf descending on a sheepfold. This portrays the Assyrians as predators and Jerusalem as vulnerable prey, leading to the expectation that the city will be overwhelmed and destroyed.

1. The Angel of Death serves as the agent of destruction. The killing occurs through a single breath rather than weapons, imparting a supernatural, unsettlingly quiet quality to the act.

1. In the second stanza, the army is first likened to a full summer forest, indicating life and abundance, then to withered autumn leaves by morning. This seasonal shift suggests that the army's destruction is inevitable and unhurried like the changing seasons.

1. The focus on one horse's wide, now-empty nostril turns an abstract mass death into something tangible and personal. It compels the reader to confront a single, concrete image of lost vitality instead of an emotionally distant number.

1. The final stanza reveals that widows are left mourning, the idols of Baal lie in ruins, and Assyria's imperial power has vanished. Byron concludes that the God of Israel's power has triumphed completely — over the army, the religion, and the political system of the Gentiles.

1. Rust on the armor previously gleaming in gold symbolizes decay and the swift passage of time. Its sudden appearance indicates how thoroughly and rapidly God's judgment has undone all of Assyria's outward glory.

1. Readers saw Napoleon's catastrophic military overreach — particularly his disastrous campaigns — mirrored in Sennacherib's fate. Like Sennacherib, Napoleon assembled a seemingly invincible force that ultimately fell, suggesting that no human military power, however magnificent, can evade a higher judgment.

1. Answers will vary but should include at least two specific details. For instance: the wolf simile establishes the army's terrifying might, yet the wolf ends up being destroyed — subverting expectations and revealing human power as illusory. The Angel of Death acts through a breath rather than a sword, showing that God requires no military apparatus. The broken idols of Baal indicate that divine power dismantles entire belief systems. Together these details argue that human military spectacle is insignificant before God's effortless, silent authority.