ipl-logo

Use Of Power In Ozymandias

861 Words4 Pages

Power can be a healing force, but can also be used to destroy. Both sides of this point are explored in both Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Ozymandias is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelly. It was published in 1818 during the period of time where freedom of expression was very popular. Still I Rise was published in 1978 by African-American civil rights activist Maya Angelou. She wrote this to share with the world her attitude towards slavery. The power in Still I Rise belongs to Maya Angelou. She holds the power to stand up to the people who treat her like nothing. The last few lines in the first stanza “you may tread me in the very dirt” immediately set up the attitudes of the rest of the poem. Maya Angelou is referring to herself as nothing more than dirt on the ground. People walk all over dirt without a care in the world. It’s taken for granted and made out to be completely useless. She is trying to say that people completely disregard her. But this line is immediately followed by "but still, like dust, I'll rise" She is saying that even though she has been reduced down to the dirt …show more content…

The negative power is Ramses the second. A great and powerful ruler who uses his power to force people to do as he says. We can tell that he was not a kind ruler in the line "whose frown and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command." Shelly paints a picture of a cruel leader who only cares about himself. Ozymandias expects this power to just be handed to him. "I am Ozymandias, king of kings: look on my works and despair!" this depicts the king as having a rather large ego. He feels as if he can do as he pleases. The inscription on the statue is ironic as "nothing besides remains." Shelly writes the poem about a cold king who believes he is superior to everyone else. He is arrogant and feels like this much power is just a right. Ozymandias is abusing his power and eventually, this is his

Show More
Related
1734 Words | 7 Pages

The mostly represents that they stand out more. Both kings look upright and with a strong character and personality. From looking at the statue he seems very powerful, respected and obeyed by others. From what I read in the wall text he had a lot of followers that looked up to him and advised him when he needed it.

Read More
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
1194 Words | 5 Pages

‘Ozymandias’ and ‘My Last Duchess’ are both poems about the pride of men and how it always leads to ruin. ‘Ozymandias’ looks at the pride of men as opposed to Nature, and declares it a foolish notion, mocking humanity as whole. ‘My Last Duchess’ looks at the pride of men in contrast to emotions and portrays it as a dangerous force, describing pride as an insinuating sickness of the mind. The initial imagery in ‘Ozymandias’ emphasizes the broken remnants of the monument as the aftereffects of pride.

Read More
1321 Words | 6 Pages

Ozymandias is a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelly also Ozymandias is an Egyptian King. Ozymandias’ real name is King Ramesses II; he is known as Ozymandias by the Greeks. Percy Bysshe Shelly hears about a finding of Ozymandias’ statue near his funeral temple and this basically motivates him to write this poem. The statue is completely demolished, leaving only a few pieces from the statue on the ground and there is no other form of life near it, everything around the statue is deserted. Percy Bysshe Shelly basically describes what is at and around the statue in the poem Ozymandias.

Read More
622 Words | 3 Pages

I define power as the means to be in total control over anything that can and will happen from anywhere. In the Odyssey, power arises through the relationships between gods, mortals, and creatures, depending on their adherence to the laws of Xenia. The three following relationships that reflect power in the Odyssey and how they arise through Xenia are the goddess's imprisoned soon-to-be husband, escape plan one eye, and father-son blood slaughter. The first of these relationships is what I nicknamed "Father-Son Blood Slaughter,", in which Odysseus and Telemchaus bring down the karma from Odysseus and Telemchaus to the insulting suitors.

Read More
324 Words | 2 Pages

The poem “Still I Rise” written by Maya Angelou and the story “The Scholarship Jacket” by Marta Saline, are two different kind of writing styles. One is a poem and the other is a story. Even though they might be two different kind of styles of writing, they still are somewhat similar. “Still I Rise” is a poem about conquering your goals in life and rising up to be the best you can possibly be. Mayas writing in this poem is very confident, in a way she almost sounds like she's bragging.

Read More
399 Words | 2 Pages

America is a symbol of freedom. The poems “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes and “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou both describe how America was rather unfair during their times. Langston Hughes was a key figure during the Harlem Renaissance and Maya Angelou did not become famous or recognized until her first autobiography. Even though “I, Too, Sing America” and “Still I Rise” have completely different tones, they both convey the message of how inequality was prevalent in America. Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou both talk about how in the future they will come back and be free.

Read More
628 Words | 3 Pages

Let us say someone encountered a bump in life or something bad happened people will always move past it eventually because people cannot let something weigh them down for the rest of their lives. The big message or idea of these two poems is to keep moving on because people will always have to deal with problems. In “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou they both convey the message that people should never give up and keep on rising no matter what happens or what people say. Throughout the poem “Mother to Son,” Langston Hughes coveys that people should always keep pushing towards their goals and not give up.

Read More
3654 Words | 15 Pages

The poem is written is her voice as the narrator as she says how she will rise to the occasion despite oppression and the inherent painful past of the black man. She says that despite oppression and unfair treatment of black people, they will rise above it. The lines opening lines ‘You may tread me in the very dirt/ But still, like dust, I'll rise’ show the determination of black people during the Civil Rights Movement and the way in which they were determined to rise above racial

Read More
458 Words | 2 Pages

Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou were African Americans alive during the period in American history when minority groups were fighting hard for their rights and respect among the country. These two authors used their writing skill to shed light on how African Americans felt throughout this period of time, opening many people’s eyes to how the oppressed truly felt. The civil rights movement could have had an entirely different outcome if it weren’t outspoken individuals such as these two. In Hughes’s well known poem “I, Too,” Hughes talks about how the people that mistreat him will soon regret everything they’ve done and will realize the true potential of him and everyone like him.

Read More
973 Words | 4 Pages

The world has changed much in one hundred years: women are standing up for themselves, children are changing the world, but still the works of three authors stand strong as the writers of some of the most well-known books in history. Mark Twain's style is very distinct because of the stylistic elements he uses. One of the main elements he utilizes is Social Commentary. Social Commentary is when the author gives his or her own insights into the workings of society or the human mind. In Chapter 2 of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,' Tom is forced to work on painting his aunt's fence while his friends play, but Tom finds a way to swindle them into paying him to do the work for him.

Read More
715 Words | 3 Pages

Context/Purpose/Audience Still I Rise, written in 1978 by African American poet and civil-rights activist Maya Angelou, is a resoundingly courageous and unearthing poem with an inspiring invited reading directly related to the time period it was written in: during the declaration for Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The poem discusses an African American woman’s struggles against racism and hatred from the society. It consists of nine-stanzas, offering words of inspiration to those who have been oppressed. It sends a message of hope that even in the midst of adversity it is possible to overcome obstacles and find the inner strength and confidence to rise above them. This poem is very straightforward making the message more meaningful and affective.

Read More
494 Words | 2 Pages

People have many different reactions when given power. The reaction is usually either one where they use power for a greater good and to guide others in a better situation, or they can misuse the power given and take advantage of the circumstances or others to make themselves feel even more dominant and in command. In the play, Antigone by Sophocles one of the main characters , King Creon, abuses his power to take superiority of others and in an attempt to gain control. The misuse of power is more frequent than the use of power for the favorable, even in many current events.

Read More
1362 Words | 6 Pages

‘Still I Rise’ by the American, Maya Angelou presents the character of a black woman who is oppressed in the 1970s but refuses to accept this. ‘Disabled’ by Wilfred Owen, however, is concerned with a character who is ‘broken’ after the disabilities he suffers in the First World War at the beginning of the twentieth century. The poem ‘Still I Rise’ is about a woman who discloses that she will overcome anything due to her self-confidence. The line ‘But still, like dust, I’ll rise’ is a metaphor that expresses that she will not be downtrodden by others.

Read More
1470 Words | 6 Pages

Language is one of the definitive advantages that allowed humans to become the dominant race on earth. Though many species may have effective forms of communication, none is as fluid and wide reaching as that which we use in everyday life. The depth in our array of languages has led to an increasing amount of disparity between the educated and uneducated, with a narrowing of opportunities for the latter. It is no coincidence that those on the in Shakespeare’s The Tempest with the greatest power are also the ones with the greatest linguistic skills.

Read More

More about Use Of Power In Ozymandias

Related Topics

Open Document