Continuing the Bertie Wooster theme...
(Poem #718) The Destruction of Sennacherib 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! |
(Pub. 1815) One of Byron's more memorable poems - it's little wonder Bertie liked quoting it. From its stirring rhythms to its vivid imagery, with neither a syllable out of place in the former nor a word in the latter, the poem cries out to be recited, memorised and quoted at random passersby. However, after its magnificent opening, the poem lacks a certain something - excitement, perhaps, or dramatic tension; it has the feel of a painting rather than a narrative. To see what I mean, compare passages from Horatius, which has not just the rhythms and images, but the *atmosphere* of a battle. This difference may well be deliberate, for after all the destruction of Sennacherib was not via battle; rather The might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord Nonetheless, it robs the poem of a certain appeal, and may explain why the beginning and ending are far better known than the poem itself. Notes: Sennacherib is pronounced senak'rib Here's a summary of the Biblical account on which Byron's poem is based: His own account of this invasion, as given in the Assyrian annals, is in these words: "Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, would not submit to my yoke, I came up against him, and by force of arms and by the might of my power I took forty-six of his strong fenced cities; and of the smaller towns which were scattered about, I took and plundered a countless number. ... Hezekiah was not disposed to become an Assyrian feudatory. He accordingly at once sought help from Egypt. Sennacherib, hearing of this, marched a second time into Palestine. Sennacherib sent envoys to try to persuade Hezekiah to surrender, but in vain. He next sent a threatening letter, which Hezekiah carried into the temple and spread before the Lord. Isaiah again brought an encouraging message to the pious king. "In that night" the angel of the Lord went forth and smote the camp of the Assyrians. In the morning, "behold, they were all dead corpses." The Assyrian army was annihilated. This great disaster is not, as was to be expected, taken notice of in the Assyrian annals -- http://www.htmlbible.com/kjv30/easton/east3273.htm (somewhat elided - go read the whole thing) The last line is noteworthy - the official Assyrian history indeed makes no mention of the defeat... In 701 a rebellion, backed by Egypt, though probably instigated by Merodach-Baladan (2 Kings 20:12-18; Isaiah 39:1-7), broke out in Palestine. Sennacherib reacted firmly, supporting loyal vassals and taking the rebel cities, except for Jerusalem, which, though besieged, was spared on payment of a heavy indemnity (2 Kings 18:13-19:36; Isa. 36:1-37:37). The biblical narrative has been interpreted as implying two campaigns against Jerusalem, but this receives no support from Assyrian sources -- EB Links: Sennacherib: http://www.htmlbible.com/kjv30/easton/east3273.htm http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/5/0,5716,,00.html Byron: Biography at poem #169 Other poems: Poem #510 There is a pleasure in the pathless woods Poem #62 So We'll Go No More a-Roving Poem #547 The Isles of Greece Theme: As before, if you find the relevant passages from Wodehouse where Sennacherib is quoted, do send them in. -martin
37 comments: ( or Leave a comment )
Dear Reader,
I am a student in grade 11 currently working on an assignment for english. The aim of the assignment is to compare and contrast two poems, one of which is "The Charge Of The Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the other, "Destruction of Sennacherib" by George Gordon, Lord Byron. I would be quite appreciative if you could prodive any extra information or even analysis' of the poems as im stuck looking for information and quite anxious to get the assignment under way so i can get it proofread by my teacher. All your help will be greatly appreciated, yours sincerely,
Michael
I learned this poem in the fifth grade. My mother ,now deceased ,helped me to memorize it. In middle age I began to read the bible and lo, Sennacherib! I could only recall the first two verses and couldn't remember the author. I even asked an English professor of a nearby Christian college and he hadn't heard of the poem. I just happened onto your web site and there it was. Thanks for being a great resource.
Dick
Were you able to get an analysis on the poem that could be sent on to
me? I am presently after an analysis myself for my English class.
Help, I need (rush) an analysis of the poem "The Destruction of Sennacherib". I have to make an Essay
and I have three questions:
- How is dead view in this poem and what tone does the speaker adopt toward it. In other words,
do they seem to fear it? Do they welcome it?, etc.
If you have an analysis of this poem, please, sent it to me.
Thank You.
Samuel Gali
I agree with the analysis; perhaps the rousing, fearsome start is in
deliberate contrast to the mysterious anticlimax of the angel's
intervention. Interesting contrast between the impression from the poem
that they died in full flight into battle and the biblical account,
which has them dying in camp. Poetic license can be blamed, of course.
--
Brian Hall
Web editor
____________________________
For anyone who wants to make a success of a
Web site, there is one decision that must be
made before any other: Hire an editor.
- Gerry McGovern, ClickZ Today
If you do not use correct grammar, people will
lose respect for you, and they will
burn down your house.
- Dave Barry
hi am in year 11 and i need to contrast and compare the two poem one is The
Charfe Of The Light Brigade and the other is The Destruction Of The Sennacherib
please may i have ur help plz i really need it to complete the work
hiya!!
i am a yaer 10 student and im currently doing an essay on analysing poems. please can u help me as i have to compare the destruction of sennacherib, the charge of the light brigade and come up from the fields father... i have to write how these poems get over the reality of war! so please help me!!
from chiz
I need to map out the meter of this poem for an assignment. I need some help
because I am so confused when it comes to this. I've tried and tried to
figure it out, but there must be something I'm missing because I don't even know
where to start.
Thanks in advance!
Tara
i am also comparing to poems which are the destruction of sennacherib and the charge of the light brigade. i was wondering if you could help me by telling me what striking feature does the destruction of sennacherib use i was thinking on the lines of anti-war or something. thanks
The As 1 came 2 like the 3 on the 4,
And his 1 horts were 2 ng in 3 ple and 4;
And the 1 of their 2 was like 3 on the 4,
When the 1 wave rolls 2 ly on 3 Gali 4.
This is such a powerful poem - Byron's imagery is astounding. For those of you who enjoy this work and want to take it another level, you need to check out the seldom heard but truly awesome choral and orchestral setting of this poem, The Destruction of Sennacherib" by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. The middle two stanzas (the Angel of Death) are set in an 8 part chorus that will definitely give chills. It is included on a CD of Mussorgsky works conducted by Claudio Abbado. You won't be disappointed.
Bill Brusick
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Why are all of you high school students trying to get other people to do
your homework?
I'm leading a Men's Bible study and am so happy to have "chanced," or be it providence, on this fine poem. It is certain to bring extra life to our study. Thanks to the poster.
I heard the quote in a movie so typed it on Ask jeeves and am glad to know now where it came from
thank you for your information and work
Pierre
I am stuck on the modern english translation of the text: "The Destruction of Sennacherib" I would be forever greatful for any translation or information
thanks sincerely
hey i need help for extension english....
in what ways is this poem exploring romanticism?
more generally: how is it exploring orientalism?
Dave,in your comment of April 23,2004: "If you do not use correct grammar, people will
lose respect for you, and they will
burn down your house." -why the comma after 'grammar' and the one after 'you'? By setting this phrase off as a parenthetical expression one is left with the 'sentence': If you do not use correct grammar and they will burn down your house. Which can not be grammatically correct.
- Mordax
April 23, 2004 4:26 PM
you seriously correct something that hapenned 7 years ago... mordax you are a fool and an asshole. I say good day
Hey I love this poem! It would be awesome if this blog was still going. Just to be persnickety, I'd like to point out that actually the poem does have one syllable out of place and it appears in the first few words! For the meter to flow, it should read, 'The Assyr'an came down...' Just read it slowly and you'll find it. I'm not sure why Byron made this decision, unless in his day the 'ia' was pronounced as a single syllable.
"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed thier robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb."the bible vii 14,15. its not the same as
The last dervish ..lion's roar. they took M colvin listen to Stuart Ramsay.They have freedom,he can't stop them, and look what they do with it.
hi.
i need help please explain poem from an 11th grader erin kevin pat
Point 1: for the last post, I, when used as the first personal pronoun, must always be a capital letter. get that wrong and you haven't a hope of getting the GCSE.
Point 2: for 'Camostar', the word "Assyrian" is pronounced with only three syllables even nowadays.
Point 3: to all the students who are asking for urgent help with their assignments, you should actually pay attention. Listen to your teacher who, given half a chance would explain the poetry to you and save you the panic and frustration you are feeling now as well as the depression you will experience when the results appear!
From the Unread: All very interesting comments; some good advice, too. My advice is, go to the source of the poem, and you will receive abundant clarification--or analysis, as you say. That source is found in 2 Kings capter 19 , in the Bible. It would be unreasonable to expect to find this in Assyrian history; why would a pagan king immortalize[so to speak] the power of a God he refuses to asknowledge? 185,000 of his soldiers were annihilated,by one angel sent from God, and he could never explain it. A Great demonstration of God's love for those who trust and believe.
I, also, am totally deligted to have found this site. I have often had a yearning to remember all these wonderful poems; thank you so much for this site. You won't, by any chance, know of one titled, " The wreck of the Hesperus," would you?
"It was the schooner Hesperus that sailed the wintry sea, and the Skipper had taken his little daughter to bear him company."
I read and memorized this poem in the sixth grade. Today is my 80th birthday,and only parts of this work remain in my memory. However,I am still overwhelmed by the sadness of the story.
Scary stuff for a 6th grader.
I have tο thank you fоr the efforts you havе put in writing thiѕ sіte.
I аm hoρing to check out thе same hіgh-grade blоg рosts fгom you in the future as wеll.
In fаct, уour cгeаtivе ωriting abilitіes has еncouraged me to gеt mу verу oωn site now ;)
my blog :: HTTP://www.Linksbang.com/search/http://www.unitagged.com/profile-16357/info
I alωays emailed thіs weblog pοѕt page to all my
fгiends, because if lіke tο read it then my friеnds wіll tоo.
Here is my pаge; Chemietoilette
cam sex Vrouw misskendraBarbiecam dat ben ik en ik ben nieuw hier.
Tapping the search company regularly cam sex places there.
Another shopping site, took me there.
Also visit my webpage sex chat
I love it when people get together and share thoughts.
Great blog, stick with it!
My weblog: for more info
Nutze nun deine Zeit meine sex cams Frauen zu bestaunen, und unsere Girls just in time vor der Cam warten geile Hausfrauen um Dir ein geiles Erlebnis zu bieten.
Also visit my weblog; sexcam
He next sent a cam sex threatening letter,
which Hezekiah carried into the temple
visit site here sex cam
hey an d look his own account of this invasion, as given in the Assyrian annals, is sexcam in
these words: "Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, would not submit to my
yoke, I came up against him, and by force of arms and by the might of my
power I took forty-six of his strong fenced cities; and of the smaller
towns which were scattered about, I took and plundered a countless number.of visit
The Site:
sexcam
indeed a cool website like this must, always puts a lot of satisfaction and cara besarkan penis dengan mudah benefit its visitors.
all had been presented with a perfect through this website .. sharp and accurate information reliable .. thanks children's bedrooms | how to make home | specifications and price you have willingly shared with us.
Obat Sipilis Jogja
obat sipilis de nature
Obat Sipilis Tradisional Daun Sirih
obat sipilis paling ampuh
obat sipilis di apotik
obat sipilis raja singa
Obat Sipilis Jogja
obat sipilis de nature
obat sipilis tradisional daun sirih
obat sipilis di apotik umum
obat sipilis dokter
obat sipilis generik
t sipilis yang paling ampuh
obat sipilis
Obat Sipilis Tradisional
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik
Obat Sipilis Alami
Obat Sipilis Paling Ampuh
Obat Sipilis Dengan Bayam Duri
Obat Sipilis Pada Pria
Obat Sipilis Raja Singa
Obat Sipilis Jogja
Obat Sipilis De Nature
Obat Sipilis Di Jual Di Apotik
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Terdekat
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Kimia Farma
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Resep Dokter
Obat Sipilis Di Kimia Farma
Helpful once ya news,
thanks a lot design for home ya pa admin has given price kawasaki ninja this good home and design news.
Post a Comment