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!
Commentary
Continuing the Bertie Wooster theme…
(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