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      Understanding the poem 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' by Lord Byron

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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can explain how Lord Byron depicts the destruction of the Assyrian army.

      Key learning points

      1. The poem is based on a biblical depiction of how King Sennacherib and the Assyrian army attempted to invade Jerusalem.
      2. The Assyrian king was defeated by a divine intervention from God.
      3. War was a significant concern in Europe at the time Lord Byron wrote the poem.
      4. Poems which saw God intervene to help the 'good' forces during war were popular during this era.

      Keywords

      • Destruction - causing severe damage or ruining something completely

      • Divine intervention - direct involvement of a deity in human affairs, often in response to prayer

      • Jerusalem - historic city significant to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, located in the Middle East

      • Morale - mental and emotional state of a group or society, reflecting confidence, enthusiasm and determination

      • Righteous - morally upright or virtuous; acting in accordance with principles of justice and goodness

      Common misconception

      Byron based this poem on a religious conflict which occurred during his lifetime.

      This poem describes a conflict which was described in the Bible, when King Sennacherib and the Assyrian army attempted to attack Jerusalem and were prevented by a divine intervention.

      Teacher tip

      Compare Byron's descriptions of this event to the depictions of it in the Bible. It can be found in both 2 Kings 18:13 - 2 Kings 19:37 and in Isaiah 36:1 - Isaiah 37:38.

      Equipment

      You need access to a copy of ‘The Destruction of Sennacherib’ by Lord Byron. This can be found in the Edexcel Poetry Anthology (we will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster).

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
       except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
       (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is Romanticism?

      a genre of writing, focused on love and relationships
      Correct answer: a cultural movement from the late 1700s, focused on emotions and nature
      a style of poetry used to write about love, usually written in the sonnet form
      writing using dramatic, flowery language

      Q2.
      Who was Napoleon Bonaparte (later known as Napoleon I)?

      a famous Romantic poet who was close friends with Byron
      Correct answer: a French military and political leader, and the Emperor of France (1810-1814)
      a religious leader from the Bible who received prophecies from God
      the leader of the Assyrian army before King Sennacherib

      Q3.
      The colour purple often symbolises ...

      Correct answer: royalty and nobility
      love
      jealousy
      innocence and purity

      Q4.
      Which of these words is a synonym for 'wither'?

      Correct answer: perish
      thrive
      exist
      succeed
      fail

      Q5.
      What is a stanza?

      a single line of poetry
      two rhyming lines of poetry
      a phrase or line of poetry that is repeated throughout
      Correct answer: a section of poetry that is separated either side by line breaks

      Q6.
      Which of the following examples is a simile?

      Her laughter was a melody that danced through the room.
      The rain rattled against the window, a relentless reminder of the storm outside.
      Correct answer: The stars glittered like diamonds in the midnight sky.
      The weary old tree stretched its branches towards the sun.

      Assessment exit quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What does divine intervention mean?

      a natural disaster or event deemed beyond human control, such as earthquakes
      the belief that a monarch's authority to rule comes directly from God
      Correct answer: direct involvement of a deity in human affairs, often in response to prayer
      a social class with hereditary privileges, often tied to aristocratic titles

      Q2.
      What does righteous mean?

      Correct answer: morally upright and virtuous
      logical and strategic
      patriotic and loyal
      sensible and responsible

      Q3.
      Which of the following similes from 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' does Byron use to emphasise the power of God?

      "like a wolf on the fold"
      "like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green"
      "the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea"
      Correct answer: "the Gentile [...] melted like snow in the glance"

      Q4.
      Which two colours does Byron use to emphasise the wealth, power and high status of the Assyrian army at the beginning of 'The Destruction of Sennacherib'?

      red and gold
      red and black
      Correct answer: purple and gold
      purple and black
      silver and gold

      Q5.
      Which wars were taking place across Europe during the period when 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' was written and published?

      The Second Boer War
      Correct answer: The Napoleonic Wars
      World War I
      World War II

      Q6.
      Why were depictions of divine intervention popular during the early 1800s?

      Most people were religious so they preferred art and literature about God.
      Correct answer: It helped to boost public morale and justify the conflict as a righteous cause.
      It was likely Britain would lose the war so this gave many people hope.
      People were starting to question religion and this helped to stop this.

      To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding the poem 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' by Lord Byron, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...