Form, structure and language
Form
The Destruction of Sennacherib is written in A stanza in poetry consisting of a group of four lines. using a very distinctive rhythm. The effect is of a lively, vibrant poem but this is at odds with the tragic subject. This is where the power of the poem lies for many readers 鈥 the contradiction of the form and content can be seen as echoing the contrast between the might of a great army and the tragedy of war.
Structure
The poem has six Lines of poetry that make up a section; a verse.. Each stanza consists of a pair of In poetry, a pair of lines that rhyme and have the same length and metric pattern. in the regular repeated pattern aabb. This helps to drive the The sequence of events in a plot; a story. forward in quite a simple format.
The rhythm of the poem is also straightforward and regular which makes it very easy to read, though not necessarily to understand. This particular rhythm is often used in comic and light verse, so the fact Byron chose it for a poem about war and death is striking. Some readers see the regular patterning of the rhythm as echoing the hoof beats of the horses which the soldiers would have been riding. The regular rhythm of the poem is further emphasised by the fact that each line is When a line of poetry ends with a period or definite punctuation mark. and that about half of the lines start with the word 'and'. The use of 鈥榓nd鈥 in this way serves to drive the story forward in the same way the mounted soldiers are charging.
The poem benefits from being read/heard aloud.
Language
Some of the vocabulary is deliberately Old-fashioned or no longer in everyday use. (eg 'strown', 'wax鈥檇') and some of the word order also seems old-fashioned (eg 'their hearts but once heaved' rather than 鈥榯heir hearts heaved once鈥). This echoes the Using words and phrases in a particular order to create meaning and effects in writing. found in the original Biblical story and thereby suggests a particular time and a place.
Much use is made of A comparison using 'like' or 'as' to create a vivid image, eg as big as a whale; float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. particularly in the early part of the poem (eg 'the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea'). In the descriptions of the Assyrian army (both alive and dead) they are compared to elements of nature such as forest leaves or the surf of the waves. This is highly-effective and suggests that while mankind can easily be destroyed, nature will endure.
Byron also makes good use of A sound feature; the repetition of the same sounds (mainly consonants) usually at the beginning of words., for example:
- 'the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea' 鈥 the hissing of the 鈥榮鈥 sounds brings a suggestion of evil
- 'their hearts but once heaved' 鈥 the repetition of the 鈥榟鈥 sound slows our reading down for the moment as death occurs