Compare and contrast Ozymandias and Saddam Hussein.
The poem, written by Percy Shelley, Ozymandias is a Petrarchan sonnet compared to the second article labelled ‘Symbolic in more ways than one’ is actually a news article. This is shown through the piece as it contains a date ‘Thursday 10 April 2003', structure and content, the content is more modern so the audience know that when the subject is addressed, it will be serious rather than humorous. Ozymandias is a sonnet (a poem of 14 lines), although it doesn't have the same, simple rhyme scheme or punctuation that most sonnets have. Some lines are split by full stops and the rhyme is irregular at times. It is written in iambic pentameter, which Shakespeare used widely in his plays and
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This is done through a narrative perspective to put emphasis on time and how it weakens. The newspaper article however is retelling the true life events on what happened over there, to show the views of some people towards the Saddam Hussein's statue which they feel as it's really him. This is mixed with humour however, this shows how symbolic the statue was, but its more serious than the poem as it gives a detailed description of what happened rather than using loads of similes which could mix up the message they want to get across. Both pieces overall reveal what power has done to individuals, that even though they had it all, it will come to an end, no matter how hard they try to make a difference, then they will be mocked for it as they weren't supreme beings, they just had a very closed minded view of the world.
The poem has a phrase near the end which says ‘Nothing besides remains’. This highlights the message of the poem, which is basically saying that this statue of 'Ozymandias' has no power and this is what remains of him. This shows that the writers view on power is that there is more power from the sculptor, as he is more recognised for his/her good craftsmen ship of the statue rather than the person it is based on, that after all of this time, the sculptor has more of an effect than Ozymandias has. Unlike the poem, the news article contains humour and is not as serious some times as the writings by Shelly, this is to show how stupid those
Both initially poems follow a strict structure, which presents the idea of power and control immediately. For example, in Ozymandias, the fourteen-line poem has a similar form to that of a Shakespearean sonnet, a form of poetry that could represent strict tradition. However, as the poem continues, the rhyme scheme breaks down into more of a free verse, with less structured rhyme and the introduction of caesura, for example “Nothing beside remains. Round the decay” in line twelve. The crumbling of a traditional structure could mimic the destruction of the “colossal wreck” that is the statue, or more metaphorically the breakdown of Ozymandias’s
Percy Shelley has always been an individualist, taking the controversial aspect of topics and sticking to his beliefs; whether or not he got worshipped or abhorred did not matter or affect his opinion (“Percy Bysshe Shelley”). Throughout his life span of the late 1700s and early 1800s, he managed to fill his mind with his own thoughts and did not let anything block him from pursuing his passion in writing. Percy Bysshe Shelley expressed his individualism and realness in his works through a unique style of writing shown in “Ozymandias” and “To a Skylark”; although he learned and grew from his criticisms, he was heavily influenced by his childhood, personal beliefs, and views and experiences of the world.
In conveying the issue of time and nature, the poet introduces a traveler from an ‘antique land’, who sees the remains of a vast statue, which gives this poem’s meaning. The antique land refers to a place in pass civilization that no longer exist. The poet uses certain language to express the idea in a more understanding, visual way. The statue reflects Ozymandias’ power and the attitude he holds against others. The facial expressions sculpted in the statue are a mockery of those who he viewed as less prominent in the society. “And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” (Shelley 4). The poet used Ozymandias’ sneer to convey his attitude towards others as uncaring and rude, as he thinks that he holds a great power among everyone else. Shelley used the phrase “cold command” to also emphasize Ozymandias’ sneer, to imply that he was selfish, not caring about the situation of
Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote this poem "Ozymandias" to express to us that possessions do not mean immortality. He used very strong imagery and irony to get his point across throughout the poem. In drawing these vivid and ironic pictures in our minds, Shelley was trying to explain that no one lives forever, and nor do their possessions. Shelley expresses this poem’s moral through a vivid and ironic picture. A shattered stone statue with only the legs and head remaining, standing in the desert, the face is proud and arrogant, "Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read"(lines, 4-6).
Shelley dwells little on the small details of Ozymandias' face, but by Ozymandias' frown, wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, delivered in less than two lines, immediately carry to the reader a vision of a cold, callous, yet strong and determined leader who is commanding his people building his great vast statue hoping his power would be immortal. These concrete items are vital to the description, but are not as strong as what can not be seen. Shelley gives a nod to the talent of the sculptor, from whom Ozymandias received a mirror image of his personality, placed in stone because of his thinking to survive
In Ozymandias, the narrator speaks of an “antique land” that he’s travelled to and comes across a statue which is the King Ozymandias (who is the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.) The structure of the poem is written in an petrarchan
The first overarching theme of all of these poems is that man-made things eventually die. In “Ozymandias”, the statue of Ramses II gradually decays until he is forgotten. The king being lost in memory is shown in the very beginning before the statue is even mentioned when a traveller tells the story of Ozymandias, which adds another level of obscurity to the statue: “I met a traveller from an antique land / Who said” (lines 1 - 2). In other words, rather than seeing the statue for oneself, one hears about it from someone who heard about it from someone who has seen it. This conveys the impermanence of the king’s power, a man-made concept, as time erodes at the statue until the king is no longer remembered. “Stand” (3) is an example of the personification of the statue. This gives it life, showing that man-made things start out alive but are always approaching death, as even the “trunkless legs” (2), diction that conveys the already dilapidated state of the statue,
In the first week of scholarship we began with an introduction to the module. I understood that the module focuses on helping us to develop various skills, such as study skills, research skills, and how to work at a degree level in general. This will be helpful because I can learn new skills and develop my current skills, which will be beneficial for my improvement as I progress through my degree.
A poem about a statue that has far outlived its boastful inscribers, albeit shattered in pieces. This discrepancy is seen between the lines 10-12, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings/ Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!/ Nothing beside remains. Round the decay…” Clearly, these people thought they were mighty and great, but instead, they are gone and all that remains are the shattered statues. When we die, we cannot take anything with us. It doesn’t matter how rich and important someone is in life; They are nothing but a memory when they are
The poem "Ozymandias" tells a story about a traveler, who reveals his or her story to the narrator of the poem. The author of the poem is Percy Bysshe Shelley. He keeps the interest of the poem by using constant sounds and images that are clear and concise, by supplying mystery with words that have more than one meaning, and by using a spectrum of words that capture the interpreters attention.
Shelley’s version of “Ozymandias” pays particular attention to the details of what remains of Ramses’s statue. Shelley conveys to the reader that no matter how powerful a ruler may be, their influence will fade with time. The description of what Babylon looks like when the poem was written gives the reader a clear
The king Ozymandias has a great amount of pride for what he has accomplished during his time as ruler. He had a sculptor erect a massive statue of him, which shows how highly he thought of himself. The pedestal of the statue stated "My name is Ozymandias king of kings: / Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" (Shelley, 136, 10-11).
In the poem Percy Bysshe Shelley “Ozymandias” there are several different sound devices portrayed. The author demonstrates use of rhyme and meter. In the beginning of the poem the author used rhyming words to give a description of the mans journey through the dessert, and informing that he found a statue. It states, " Two vast and trunk less legs of stone stand in the dessert." Although, the statue is destroyed and seems to be smashed, considering the 2 legs. Towards the end of the poem the author demonstrates irony, when it says," a colossal wreck, boundless and bare." It was once said to be mighty and powerful, but reveals there is nothing but sand on the desert. "Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things" references that the
By calling himself “king of kings”, he alludes to God and believes he is greater than all other men. He ruled his kingdom solely on the fear of those beneath him. The intimidating language on the pedestal and the statue made for him display that Ozymandias possessed almighty power. To end the poem, Shelley writes, “Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The line and level sands stretch far away.” As time passed, the sand literally destroyed the symbol of what was once the greatest man alive.
On of the most influential romantic English poets of the 19th century was Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was born August 4th 1792 to Sir Timothy and Elizabeth Pilford Shelley in Field Place, Horsham, Sussex, England. (Crook) Shelley was the oldest of six children. He had one brother, John and four sisters, Mary, Elizabeth, Hellen, and Margaret. His family lived a very comfortable lifestyle, especially his dad’s father, Bysshe Shelley whom owned quite a few estates. Shelley’s father was also a member of parliament.