Poetic Power & Legacy: Ozymandias vs. London Analysis

Ozymandias vs. London: A Poetic Comparison

Key Quotes and Their Significance

1. Ozymandias – "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

   • Command Verb (Imperative)

     The verb "Look" conveys Ozymandias’s arrogance, attempting to assert dominance over future generations, suggesting an inflated sense of power. This contrasts with the powerless citizens in London, whose suffering is imposed upon them by external forces, not self-proclaimed power.

   • Irony

     The juxtaposition of "despair" with the ruined state of the statue highlights the futility of Ozymandias’s power, emphasizing the transience of human legacy. Similarly, London highlights the decaying impact of unchecked power through the physical and emotional scarring of the city’s inhabitants.

   • Noun: "Works"

     The use of the plural noun "Works" implies grand achievements, yet the irony is that nothing remains but lifeless ruins, undercutting his hubris. This mirrors the "chartered streets" in London, where the city’s "works" are also tainted by corruption and oppression, reducing the grandeur to suffering and decay.

2. London – "Marks of weakness, marks of woe"

   • Repetition of Noun: "Marks"

     The repetition underscores the lasting scars inflicted on society by the corrupt institutions Blake criticizes, reinforcing the permanence of suffering. This links to Ozymandias, where the ruins of the statue serve as permanent "marks" of the king’s failed legacy.

   • Alliteration: "Weakness / Woe"

     The use of harsh alliteration draws attention to the physical and emotional degradation of the city’s inhabitants, suggesting a pervasive, inescapable pain. In Ozymandias, the harshness is mirrored in the "wrinkled lip" and "sneer of cold command," both highlighting the ruler’s cruel nature and the resulting devastation.

   • Abstract Nouns: "Weakness / Woe"

     These nouns generalize suffering, indicating that the impact of power extends beyond physical oppression to emotional and psychological decay. This contrasts with the physical decay in Ozymandias, where the once-mighty statue is reduced to "colossal wreck."

Structural Devices in the Poems

Structural Devices in Ozymandias

Sonnet Form: The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet that shifts to a Shakespearean structure, reflecting the erosion of power – the traditional form breaks down, symbolising the fall of Ozymandias’s empire.

Structural Devices in London

Regular Quatrains and ABAB Rhyme Scheme: The repetitive, regimented structure mimics the oppressive control of institutions over London’s citizens.

Structural Comparison

• Ozymandias uses a fragmented sonnet to highlight the decay of power, whereas London employs rigid quatrains to reinforce the unrelenting oppression.

• Both poems use structural shifts – Ozymandias employs a volta to shift from grandeur to ruin, while London moves from visual to auditory suffering, escalating the sense of entrapment.