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Grade 9 English Essay: Comparing Ozymandias and My Last Duchess

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F

Fahmi Haimour

08/12/2025

English Literature

Grade 9 poetry comparison essay on Ozymandias and MyLast Duchess

42

8 Dec 2025

3 pages

Grade 9 English Essay: Comparing Ozymandias and My Last Duchess

F

Fahmi Haimour

@fahmihaimour

Ever wondered what happens when powerful people think they're untouchable?... Show more

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Ozymandias + My Last Duchess both explore how human think they are all powerful which is symbolised through art but ultimately this sense of

Power as an Illusion in Both Poems

These poems brilliantly expose how controlling power is actually just a mirage that eventually disappears. The Romantic poets wanted to show us that no matter how mighty someone thinks they are, power never lasts forever.

Browning uses dramatic monologue to show the Duke's dominating personality - he speaks for 56 lines without interruption whilst the Duchess gets no voice at all. This technique perfectly captures how women in Victorian times had absolutely no rights or say in their own lives.

The Duke treats his wife like a piece of furniture rather than a human being. When he says "My Last Duchess painted on the wall," that possessive word "my" shows he literally owns her like a possession. Browning deliberately makes this uncomfortable to read because he's criticising how Victorian women were treated as property.

Remember: The dramatic monologue technique lets us see inside the Duke's twisted mind whilst simultaneously showing us how wrong his attitudes are.

Ozymandias + My Last Duchess both explore how human think they are all powerful which is symbolised through art but ultimately this sense of

Nature vs Human Arrogance

Shelley makes Ozymandias look absolutely ridiculous through dramatic irony. The king boasts "Look at my works, ye mighty and despair," but ironically there's "Nothing beside remains" - just empty desert stretching endlessly.

The consonance in "boundless and bare" and "lone and level sands" slows down the poem's pace, making us feel the vast emptiness where Ozymandias's empire once stood. Nature has completely erased his so-called mighty kingdom.

Both poets break their poetic forms to show loss of control. The Duke's iambic pentameter cracks when he gets angry about his "nine-hundred-years-old name," and the extra syllable reveals he's actually losing it. Meanwhile, Ozymandias is written as a sonnet (usually about love) but ironically shows the opposite - the destruction of someone's self-obsession.

Key insight: When the poets break their structured verse forms, it mirrors how the characters' power is also breaking down.

Ozymandias + My Last Duchess both explore how human think they are all powerful which is symbolised through art but ultimately this sense of


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This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

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very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

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I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

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THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

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This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good

Thomas R

iOS user

Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.

Basil

Android user

This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

Rohan U

Android user

I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user

 

English Literature

42

8 Dec 2025

3 pages

Grade 9 English Essay: Comparing Ozymandias and My Last Duchess

F

Fahmi Haimour

@fahmihaimour

Ever wondered what happens when powerful people think they're untouchable? Both "Ozymandias" and "My Last Duchess" show us how rulers who believe they're all-powerful are actually just fooling themselves, and their so-called control eventually crumbles.

Ozymandias + My Last Duchess both explore how human think they are all powerful which is symbolised through art but ultimately this sense of

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Power as an Illusion in Both Poems

These poems brilliantly expose how controlling power is actually just a mirage that eventually disappears. The Romantic poets wanted to show us that no matter how mighty someone thinks they are, power never lasts forever.

Browning uses dramatic monologue to show the Duke's dominating personality - he speaks for 56 lines without interruption whilst the Duchess gets no voice at all. This technique perfectly captures how women in Victorian times had absolutely no rights or say in their own lives.

The Duke treats his wife like a piece of furniture rather than a human being. When he says "My Last Duchess painted on the wall," that possessive word "my" shows he literally owns her like a possession. Browning deliberately makes this uncomfortable to read because he's criticising how Victorian women were treated as property.

Remember: The dramatic monologue technique lets us see inside the Duke's twisted mind whilst simultaneously showing us how wrong his attitudes are.

Ozymandias + My Last Duchess both explore how human think they are all powerful which is symbolised through art but ultimately this sense of

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Nature vs Human Arrogance

Shelley makes Ozymandias look absolutely ridiculous through dramatic irony. The king boasts "Look at my works, ye mighty and despair," but ironically there's "Nothing beside remains" - just empty desert stretching endlessly.

The consonance in "boundless and bare" and "lone and level sands" slows down the poem's pace, making us feel the vast emptiness where Ozymandias's empire once stood. Nature has completely erased his so-called mighty kingdom.

Both poets break their poetic forms to show loss of control. The Duke's iambic pentameter cracks when he gets angry about his "nine-hundred-years-old name," and the extra syllable reveals he's actually losing it. Meanwhile, Ozymandias is written as a sonnet (usually about love) but ironically shows the opposite - the destruction of someone's self-obsession.

Key insight: When the poets break their structured verse forms, it mirrors how the characters' power is also breaking down.

Ozymandias + My Last Duchess both explore how human think they are all powerful which is symbolised through art but ultimately this sense of

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

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Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

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Most popular content in English Literature

English - inspector calls quotes and analysis

Quotes from every main character

English LiteratureEnglish Literature
10

Most popular content

English - inspector calls quotes and analysis

Quotes from every main character

English LiteratureEnglish Literature
10

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Students love us — and so will you.

4.9/5

App Store

4.8/5

Google Play

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good

Thomas R

iOS user

Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.

Basil

Android user

This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

Rohan U

Android user

I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good

Thomas R

iOS user

Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.

Basil

Android user

This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.

Rohan U

Android user

I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.

Xander S

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now

Paul T

iOS user