Starter quiz
- In 'The Destruction of Sennacherib', how are the Assyrian army defeated?
- King Hezekiah's army battle them in Jerusalem and win
- an act of divine intervention - God steps in and destroys the Assyrian army ✓
- they all fall ill after eating poisoned fruit
- they aren't - Jerusalem is attacked and Sennacherib becomes the leader
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- Who or what is Galilee?
- a type of military ship
- the name of the leader of the Assyrian army
- the Jewish word for 'God'
- a region and body of water ✓
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- Which of the following is a synonym for the verb 'waxed'?
- shrank, diminished
- grew, became ✓
- withered, perished
- succeeded, triumphed
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- What is a rhyme scheme?
- an irregular pattern of similar sounds at the beginning of lines in a poem
- an irregular pattern of similar sounds at the end of lines in a poem
- a regular pattern of similar sounds at the beginning of lines in a poem
- a regular pattern of similar sounds at the end of lines in a poem ✓
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- What is the meter of a poem?
- the order and progression of ideas in a poem
- the lengths of lines and stanzas in a poem
- the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in lines ✓
- the use of repetition to create a driving rhythm
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- What is sibilance?
- repetition of syllables at the end of a verse or line
- repetition of words or phrases in the first part of successive clauses
- repetition of harsh consonant sounds such as 'p', 't' and 'k'
- repetition of the hissing sound 's' or 'sh' in nearby words ✓
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Exit quiz
- Which of these animals is a predator?
- a sheep
- a horse
- a wolf ✓
- a pig
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- What is a couplet?
- a stanza with four lines of the same length
- a line of poetry with two clauses
- a pair of successive lines of poetry, typically rhyming and of the same length ✓
- a poem where every other line rhymes
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- Which two methods does Byron use in the following quote from 'The Destruction of Sennacherib': "the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea"?
- a simile ✓
- anaphora
- a metaphor
- sibilance ✓
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- What is anapestic tetrameter?
- four groups of three syllables per line, two stressed then one unstressed
- four groups of three syllables per line, two unstressed then one stressed ✓
- four groups of four syllables per line, two unstressed then two stressed
- four groups of four syllables per line, two stressed then two unstressed
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- In 'The Destruction of Sennacherib', Byron uses an extended metaphor to compare the Assyrian soldiers to which natural feature?
- the sea ✓
- a tree
- a desert
- a storm
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- Byron's use of form and structure in 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' is very focused on...
- creativity
- regularity ✓
- simplicity
- ambiguity
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The regular rhyming couplets could reflect the rigidity of the army, or could be used as a dramatic storytelling device.
- Byron’s use of sibilance arguably illustrates the power of the Assyrian army.
- The biblical image of the wolf attacking sheep connotes the battle between good and evil.
- Anapestic tetrameter could echo the sound of the forces advancing.
- Byron uses an extended metaphor, comparing the Assyrians to the sea, which could emphasise how the mighty army fell.
Common misconception
Byron portrays the Assyrians as evil predators because this was what he believed they were like.
Arguably, we can't know Byron's feelings on this matter. It's more likely that he portrays the Assyrians in this way to emphasise the power of God when he is able to easily decimate such a formidable enemy.
Keywords
Predator - an animal that hunts and preys on other animals for food
Stressed syllables - syllables in a word that are emphasised or pronounced with greater force
Anapestic tetrameter - a poetic rhythm consisting of four groups of three syllables (each with two unstressed syllables and then a stressed syllable)
Sibilance - repetition of the hissing sound 's' or 'sh' in nearby words
Couplets - a pair of successive lines of verse, typically rhyming and of the same length
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