The Temporary Nature of Power in "Ozymandias"

Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" explores the theme of power from a different angle, focusing on its temporary nature. The poem describes a ruined statue of a once-powerful king in a desert landscape.

Example: The statue's inscription boasts of the king's power, but the statue itself is now a "colossal wreck."

This ironic contrast between the king's boastful words and the statue's current state emphasizes how even the mightiest human power is ultimately fleeting.

Vocabulary: Irony - A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects.

The poem uses vivid imagery to describe the statue:

Quote: "Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command..."

This description shows how time and nature have eroded the once-imposing statue, suggesting that natural forces are more powerful and enduring than human authority.

The final lines of the poem reinforce this theme:

Quote: "Nothing beside remains. Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away."

These lines emphasize the vast, enduring desert landscape in contrast to the ruined statue, highlighting the insignificance of human power in the face of time and nature.

Structural Elements Reinforcing Themes of Power

Both poems use their structure to reinforce their themes about power, but in different ways.

"Ozymandias" is a sonnet, but it doesn't follow the regular sonnet rhyme scheme. This structural choice reflects the poem's theme of how human power and structure can be easily destroyed. The use of disrupted iambic pentameter further emphasizes this idea.

Definition: Iambic pentameter - A common meter in poetry consisting of a line with five feet, each foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

In contrast, "My Last Duchess" uses rhyming couplets, creating a rigid form that mirrors the Duke's controlling nature. This strict structure leaves no room for change or questioning, much like the Duke's inflexible attitude.

Highlight: The rigid rhyme scheme in "My Last Duchess" reflects the Duke's controlling personality and leaves no space for alternative viewpoints.

The poem is written as a dramatic monologue, giving the impression of a one-sided conversation. The use of iambic pentameter in this context creates a conversational, almost chatty tone, which contrasts with the dark subject matter.

These structural choices in both poems serve to deepen our understanding of how power is presented and explored in each work.

Page 4: Technical Elements

The final page concludes with technical analysis of the poems' meters and tones.

Highlight: The use of iambic pentameter in My Last Duchess creates a conversational tone appropriate to its dramatic monologue format.

Vocabulary: Rhyming couplets - pairs of lines that rhyme with each other.

Example: The chatty tone created by the meter reflects the Duke's conversation with his visitor.

Power and Control in "My Last Duchess"

The poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning explores the theme of power through the perspective of a controlling Duke. The Duke's anger and desire for control over his wife are central to the poem's narrative.

Highlight: The Duke's increasing anger throughout the poem stems from his inability to control his wife.

The Duke's frustration is evident in his description of the Duchess:

Quote: "She had a heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, too easily impressed."

This quote reveals the Duke's displeasure with his wife's open and friendly nature, which he perceives as a threat to his authority.

The poem strongly implies that the Duke's need for control led to drastic actions:

Quote: "Then all smiles stopped together."

This ambiguous line suggests that the Duke may have had his wife killed to assert his ultimate control over her.

Vocabulary: Ambiguous - Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.

Even after her death, the Duke continues to exert power over his wife's memory:

Quote: "None puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I."

This line illustrates how the Duke now controls who can view his wife's portrait, treating her memory as another possession to be controlled and displayed at his discretion.