The Destruction of Sennacherib - Lord Byron
A Stirring Biblical Tale of Divine Intervention
Original Poem (English), line by line:
Stanza 1
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.
Stanza 2
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 wither’d and strown.
Stanza 3
For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass’d;
And the eyes of the sleepers wax’d deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!
Stanza 4
And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there roll’d 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.
Stanza 5
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.
Stanza 6
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!
Lord Byron’s “The Destruction of Sennacherib” is part of his collection *Hebrew Melodies* (published in 1815). Inspired by the Old Testament account in 2 Kings 19:35 (also echoed in Isaiah), it describes the sudden downfall of the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s army during its campaign against Jerusalem.
The poem’s hallmark is its driving anapestic tetrameter—each line often felt as a galloping rhythm—mirroring the swift arrival and shock defeat of the Assyrian host. Byron opens with a striking simile, likening the army’s approach to ‘the wolf on the fold,’ setting a tone of predatory menace. Yet nature soon becomes an instrument of doom: the once-majestic host is described like leaves of the forest that quickly shrivel overnight.
In describing the victory as an act of God rather than a triumph of human hands, the poem underscores the biblical moral that worldly power can vanish at a divine command. The vivid imagery of foaming horses, silent tents, and fallen riders heightens the poem’s somber focus on the devastation wreaked by the ‘Angel of Death.’ Rather than extended theological commentary, Byron concentrates on building a sense of awe: the unstoppable might of the Assyrian force collapses abruptly, leaving families in mourning and idols in ruins.
The final lines emphasize how worldly armies and idols alike melt ‘like snow in the glance of the Lord,’ reiterating that no weapon or might of man prevails against divine will. With its rhythmic pulse and sweeping images, the poem remains a powerful reminder of the sudden reversals in war and the underlying moral that reverence for higher power surpasses all earthly ambitions. (Approx. 250 words)
Key points
1. Byron draws from a biblical narrative to dramatize the swift defeat of a seemingly invincible army.
2. The poem’s anapestic meter mirrors the gallop of approaching forces, amplifying its dramatic tension.
3. Vivid contrasts of bright triumph turning to grim desolation highlight the folly of human pride.
4. The poem underscores a core biblical lesson: divine power can topple the mightiest armies.
5. “The Destruction of Sennacherib” stands as a memorable example of Byron’s narrative skill and rhythmic flair.