1. The use of dark imagery:
- "Night, mother of the gods"
- "black grief"
2. Reference to the Fates and Moira (destiny):
- "They are come, they are here, swift Furies of ancient days."
- "With feet that will not yield, they follow, they search us out."
- "Their breath is hot upon the track, their cry goes up to the sky."
3. Foretelling of suffering and destruction:
- "They have come to destroy, to lay waste, to rend and to slay."
- "No strength can hold, no wealth can appease."
4. Use of emphatic and ominous language:
- "They are here!"
- "They will not yield."
- "Their breath is hot."
5. Sense of helplessness and resignation:
- "No mortal can escape them, no city, no tower can bar their way."
- "In vain do we cry out, in vain do we pray."
Overall, the tone of this stanza is one of foreboding and dread, creating an atmosphere of impending doom and misfortune for Oedipus and Thebes.