The Destruction of Sennacherib

Lord Byron

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

2. This poem is based on this biblical story. How do the rhythm and imagery of the poem convey the spirit of the biblical account?

The imagery, specifically that detailing the massive size of the Assyrian forces ("And the sheen of their spears..." (3), for example), plays up the idea that only some divine intervention could possible have prevented the destruction of this city. The description of the sudden death of the Assyrian forces, starting with line nine, also contributes to the sense that this victory was an act of God.

3. Identify significant images in the poem. How do they deepen and enrich the poem's meaning?

"The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold" (1)--emphasizes the fact that this is a God's "flock" being attacked. Contrasting that which is vicious with that which is gentle.

"And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!" (23-24)--if the sudden death of a couple thousand men didn't get the point across to you, this should--God is powerful and protects his flock.