ipl-logo

Comparing Ozymandias 'And' Ode On A Grecian U

522 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ode of the Grecian urn

The poems Ozymandias by Percy Shelley and Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats both comment on the passing of time and the survival of history, but from different perspectives. Shelley’s Ozymandias uses negative language such as his “…frown / And wrinkled lip” and his “…sneer of cold command” to form a horrible impression of Ozymandias, a “King of Kings”. This is a jab at tyranny and how after even time passes a mighty king’s empire crumbles to dust. The face and “‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone / Stand in the desert” are the only remains of Ozymandias’ “Mighty” works, with the “…level sands [stretching] far away”. Contrastingly, the Urn that Keats makes an ode to is preserved perfectly. Keats comments that though time passes, “Thou [Urn] shalt remain, in midst of other woe”. …show more content…

The Urn is a “…foster-child of silence and slow time”, Keats using personification to fully describe the beauty of the urn. Shelley’s negative, blunt tone juxtaposing the might of Ozymandias’ past works against the current absence of his rule contrasts against Keats’ positive view of history, a moment in time, being encapsulated on the Urn for all time. However, Keats’ view of the more unpleasant events on the Urn, “Who are these coming to the sacrifice? / To what green altar, O mysterious priest”, the archaic notion of sacrifice contrasting against the beauty of past love and song within Keats’ own

Show More
Related

Summary Of At Mornington By Gwen Harwood

1274 Words | 6 Pages

Through the use of present, past and future Harwood takes us on a journey from childhood to adulthood using memory as a vehicle. She discusses the transience of life, as reflected in the pitcher of water, and the inevitable conclusion and the ultimate acceptance of death; ‘the peace of this day will shine/like light on the face of the waters/that bear me away for ever.” By using such universal themes as life’s journey and the universal emotions of pain, regret and frustration, Harwood shapes the way audiences engage to the written word. Harwood was a deeply religious person and we find her religious commitment reflected in this poem. Critic William Simon states that Harwood uses ‘religious dimensions’ in her work through the use of religious iconography and reference to both the old and new testaments.

Read More

Storm On The Island And Ozymandias Comparison Essay

507 Words | 3 Pages

The poem highlights the fleeting nature of human accomplishments when compared to the timeless power of nature. Shelly's use of striking visual imagery, such as "vast and trunkless legs of stone" and "shattered visage," effectively portrays the ruined statue in the desert. This depiction emphasizes the short-lived nature of human dominance and the inevitable triumph of nature. The sonnet structure of the poem, with its measured and controlled tone, serves as a counterpoint to the shattered statue, highlighting the sharp contrast between human aspirations and the vastness of nature's

Read More

Analysis Of Timothy Steele's The Skimming Stone

990 Words | 4 Pages

Timothy Steele’s “The Skimming Stone”— Pondering the Meaning of a Friend’s Early Death In Timothy Steele’s Sapphics and Uncertainties, “The Skimming Stone” reminds readers on how death can take hold of someone anytime and how precious friendships are. This is a sonnet dedicated to Steele’s dearest friend Billy Knight, who died of a heart attack at a young age of thirty-eight. In this sonnet, Steele, as the poetic speaker, reflects back at a certain part of time in his past when he witnessed his friend Knight pockets a smooth stone. What was the significance of that very action? The poetic speaker is left pondering whether it was, perhaps, a foreshadowing of his friend sensing his early death in life and that stone for him became a significant

Read More

Similarities Between The Crucible And Ozymandias

1268 Words | 6 Pages

Similarly in Millers context, he was able challenge 1950’s American humanity, by revealing the corruptness of HUAC members like Senator Joseph McCarthy. Adding on to this, Shelly composes a sense of historical irony as during his lifetime, Ozymandias was a feared and respected leader, showcased through the religious allusion, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings”. However he has become nothing more than a faint memory, a broken statue in the desert “Nothing beside remains. Round the Decay”. As a Romantic poet, Shelley emphasized the incredible

Read More

Brief Summary Of The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connel

930 Words | 4 Pages

The story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connel is about a big game hunter named Rainsford. He falls out of his ship and can’t swim back. Since there was no way to swim back he had to swim to the fabled “cursed island” where sailors and ships were said to disappear and never come back. As he was swimming, he heard gunshots and a loud, painful, screech, which is forshadowing that is to come. When he gets to the island, he meets General Zaroff, who greets him whole heartily since he recognizes Rainsford as a big game hunter from books he has read.

Read More

War Photographer And Ozymandias Analysis

1864 Words | 8 Pages

The repetition of king’s show how arrogant Ozymandias was, yet when compared to the crumbling ruins of his statue, the poet undermines him and shows that he did not last forever as he thought he would. The audience of the era twinkle’s on the effects it can have on people and how long it can last before the eternal truth (religion) conquers it. The modern audience zoom in on the irony of “Ozymandias” which cuts much deeper as the audience realizes that the forces of mortality and mutability, described brilliantly in the concluding lines, will erode and destroy all our

Read More

How Does Paine Support The French Revolution As A Sublime

1515 Words | 7 Pages

In the poem Shelley personifies Shelley writes about the effects of revolution and personifies all and all are painted in the bloodiest light. The violent acts of anarchy are not at all related to the English people in the

Read More

How Does Shelley Use Alliteration In Ozymandias

113 Words | 1 Pages

In the poem “Ozymandias” Percy B. Shelley utilizes alliteration to reveal a focus that although power and the fame that comes with the exhilaration of creation may seem everlasting it will soon fade over time. Shelley uses alliteration in the occasion of describing the statue being “half sunk” and also included on the statue “a shattered visage lies,whose frown And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” lie upon the statue in the midst of the desert. Shelley 's use of alliteration in his poem draws attention to the letter and sound of “S” which reveal a tone of eeriness to set the mood of strange depictions upon the statue of the statues belongings.

Read More

Ozymandias Essay

772 Words | 4 Pages

Timeless Truths (An analysis of three messages from Ozymandias, Ode to the West wind, and To a Skylark by Percy Bysshe Shelley) Percy Bysshe Shelley is one of three very famous second generation romantic writers. Messages from Shelley’s poem were quite radical for his time, especially compared to the first generation romantic writers that came before him. Shelley would write about topics that were taboo for the time such as sex. As young writer, Shelley brings a new view and presents new messages, with some influence from older authors.

Read More

Ozymandias: On The Death Of A Civilization

937 Words | 4 Pages

The title also seems to be a little bit of a challenge to his own time, showing that even the greatest of kings of the greatest of nations could fall, so why should the monarchs of his own time consider themselves to be so important? From this point onward, Shelley starts to lead out of the poem, saying “Nothing beside remains. Round the decay/Of that colossal wreck” (12-13). It could be that he's referring to the ruins, or to Ozymandias, or even to the man's kingdom, as all of them could be equally supported by the theme and the wording. He concludes with, “The lone and level sands stretch far away” (14).

Read More

Critical Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston

1187 Words | 5 Pages

Historical criticism strives to cognize a literary work by examining the social, cultural, and intellectual context that essentially includes the artist’s biography and milieu. Historical critics are more concerned with guiding readers through the use of identical connotation rather than analyzing the work’s literary significance. (Brizee and Tompkins). The journey of a historical reading begins with the assessment of how the meaning of a text has altered over time. In many cases, when the historical context of a text is not fully comprehended, the work literature cannot be accurately interpreted.

Read More

Ambiguity In To Autumn And La Belle Dame Sanns Merci

1170 Words | 5 Pages

Besides the author and the reader, there is the ‘I’ of the lyrical hero or of the fictitious storyteller and the ‘you’ or ‘thou’ of the alleged addressee of dramatic monologues, supplications and epistles. Empson said that: „The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry”(Surdulescu, Stefanescu, 30). The ambiguous intellectual attitude deconstructs both the heroic commitement to a cause in tragedy and the didactic confinement to a class in comedy; its unstable allegiance permits Keats’s exemplary poet (the „camelion poet”, more of an ideal projection than a description of Keats actual practice) to derive equal delight conceiving a lago or an Imogen. This perplexing situation is achieved through a histrionic strategy of „showing how”, rather than „telling about it” (Stefanescu, 173 ).

Read More

England In 1819 And Charge Of The Light Brigade Comparison Essay

773 Words | 4 Pages

The comparison between Shelley’s “England in 1819” and Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” surfaces distinct difference the scope of the theme of history. Given the fact that both of the poets experienced different eras between the Romanticism and the Victorianism. This influences their way of writing and also the ideas conveyed. The main factor to be discussed for the theme of history regarding the poems of choice and the respective poets is regarding the livelihood of the poets that affected the writing of the poems.

Read More

Ode On A Grecian Urn Analysis Essay

1317 Words | 6 Pages

The urn is seen as a messenger from eternity, as an “ethereal thing” (Keats 4). As a conclusion to this criticism, Salle sees past the symbolism of the urn, and believes it has deeper meaning to

Read More

An Analysis Of John Keats Ode To A Nightingale

1251 Words | 6 Pages

The nightingale’s song and Keats’ interpretation of its mortality made him feel at ease and left him wanting to not be in reality, but instead dreaming. The point of Keats

Read More

More about Comparing Ozymandias 'And' Ode On A Grecian U

Related Topics

Open Document