Power and Despair in Ozymandias

405 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ozymandias by percy bysshe shelley historical analysis

Power and Despair in Ozymandias

To despair is one of the strongest emotions that Freud's id could possibly produce. It's an uncontrollable feeling that leads even the worthiest and most powerful men to emptiness and hopelessness. In the 14-line poem, "Ozymandias" by PB Shelley, Shelley chooses the greatest setting for utter despair in using a desert. Power and despair are greatly correlated in this poem as well as many others.

Under the immediate assumption that Ozymandias is the sculptor of the barren statues, one must realize that even kings cannot contain their passions and emotions. Ozymandias erected a statue of his destress where none could see it and without habitation for miles. Leaving these statues behind, the sculptor is given a chance to reveal to others the underlying sadness of his soul. "[Passions read] Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them". Though the sculptor has left the mortal world, his soul remains for all passers-by to see. He/She is attempting to force others into his/her realm of pain just by seeing his/her creation. This poem causes havoc upon the mind of the reader as they think of utter desolation.

The statue is described as a "colossal wreck boundless and bare" drawing a parallel for the reason in which it was built. The condition of the stones, delicately but descriptively worded by Shelley, only emphasizes the despair drawn into the stone by the sculptor's hand. By using words such as "frown", "sneer", and "mocked", the author provides us with a slight portrait of the sculptor. It gives us a picture of a powerful king with no incentive or reason to smile. The phrase 'cold command" portrays him as a militaristic leader that has seen more death and destruction than a whole army and has come to a new realization as to the true ways of the human race. The author's words "lifeless", "decay", and "wreck" apply not only to the statue the author is describing but also to the sculptor of the statue.

Show More
Related

  • An Analysis of Komanuyakaa Facing It

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    His outside actions of touching the wall and looking at all the names are causing him to react internally. He is remembering the past and is attempting to suppress the emotions that are rising within him. The first two lines of the poem set the mood of fear and gloom which is constant throughout the remainder of the poem. The word choice of "black" to describe the speaker's face can convey several messages (502). The most obvious meaning ... ...

    Read More

  • The Structure Of Regionalism In Deephaven Cronies By Sarah Orne Jewett

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Right off the story’s title, “Deephaven Cronies” embodies regionalism. Deephaven, a small but aristocratic city, serves as the vacation destination

    Read More

  • Despair Quotes In Frankenstein

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout all of history, people are shown to be most strongly driven by passion. This passion can either be born from negative emotions or positive emotions, which are both extremely powerful. Positive and negative emotions greatly affect how people perceive the world and how they interact with their surroundings. One of the most influential forms of negative feelings is despair: the soul-crushing, everlasting type of sorrow that has no end and beats a person with relentless grief. Despair causes detrimental behavior because it destroys positive interactions. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s character demonstrates how despair makes people become dishonest with themselves and others, creates changes in personality,

    Read More

  • Volkswagen Case Study

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    From a Kantian standpoint, if a maxim were to be “One should never lie” or “One should always follow the law of their country”, then the actions of those involved were morally

    Read More

  • Analysis of Tracy K. Smith´s Life on Mars

    2420 Words  | 5 Pages

    As the first poem in the book it sums up the primary focus of the works in its exploration of loss, grieving, and recovery. The questions posed about the nature of God become recurring themes in the following sections, especially One and Four. The symbolism includes the image of earthly possessions sprawled out like gangly dolls, a reference possibly meant to bring about a sense of nostalgia which this poem does quite well. The final lines cement the message that this is about loss and life, the idea that once something is lost, it can no longer belong to anyone anymore brings a sense...

    Read More

  • Kings of Power: Ozymandias vs. Viva la Vida

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    When comparing and contrasting “Ozymandias”, written by Percy Bysshe Shelley and “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, there is a strong contrast between the two. Ozymandias is a poem about a long-forgotten king who once had mighty power over his people, where as “Viva La Vida” is about a king who was overthrown. However, the similarities between the song and poem are astonishing. “Ozymandias” is similar to “Viva La Vida”because both texts mention a rockpile built upon sand for a king; because both texts show that the citizens are enemies of the king; and because they are both about a king who has lost his power.

    Read More

  • Difference Between Kant And Virtue Ethics

    2518 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Utilitarian moral perspective and Kant’s moral perspective offer fundamentally contrasting ethical philosophies based on the theoretical reasoning behind choosing a particular action. One difference between these theories is that Kantianism focuses on the intentions and moral obligation behind our actions, while Utilitarians emphasize on the consequences of our actions. According to Kant, one should act according to a maxim or personal principle that guides decisions. These intentions propose rules to oneself when deciding what to do (p.127, Weston). To test if one’s motives are ethical, they must decide if this is a rule that they would want everyone else to follow. Utilitarians deem an act unethical based on the

    Read More

  • Kant And Rule Utilitarianism Analysis

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    So now that we have an understanding of Kantian ethics, let’s take that lens and look through it at the VW scandal. One of the key arbitrators of the scandal was the engineer that designed the cheat program, James Laing. You may believe that because VW 's will and duty align in creating the emissions test and Kantian theory doesn 't consider the consequences a factor did James and VW act wrongly? Looking through our hypothetical lens with a Kantian perspective the answer is a resounding yes they did act wrongly. Why VW and James acted wrongly comes from the mere means

    Read More

  • Volkswagen Case Analysis

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    Liang did in fact act accordingly to a point of view which gives the most happiness to society. He and his peers devised a plan in which masked the inherent flaws of the diesel motor implementation of Volkswagen. For the greater good of the mechanized world it can be argued that this decision was a clear solution; regardless of the ties of the company. The writer’s perspective is that many like to argue about human progress and ecological damage, but no one wants to give up progress for the greater good. In any case, Rule-Utilitarianism is somewhat objective. This means that perhaps Mr. Liang acted according to his own rule concept of rule, which perhaps was implied upon him by superiors, and perhaps was not. This may imply that as a 30 year veteran of the field he succumbed to error on the side of supererogatory objectives. Nonetheless, it is clear that Rule-Utilitarianism leans in the direction that perhaps Mr. Liang did what was required of him. To the reader it should be clear that Mr. Liang’s approach to the problem was indeed a means to the end and not a means in and of itself. This of course violates Kant’s concept of dignity and autonomy. Yet from the Rule-Utilitarian point of view perhaps he responded as he should for the greater good of the industrial

    Read More

  • A Report On Volkswagen Scandal

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e consequences, as a utilitarian would. While Liang 's decision was immoral, he never treated anyone as simply “mere means.” One could argue that the people who bought the affected vehicles were used as “mere means” to an end. From Liang’s decision, those customers are part of the consequence, so they are not considered. However, the company Volkswagen as a whole did use the customers as a “mere means” to an end as they assumed that a simple cash settlement would have been enough to make up for the customers’ disappointment. From Kant’s moral theory, Liang’s decision to create the illegal software to cheat the EPA emission tests was morally wrong, even if it was due to necessity. While it can be argued that it is also morally wrong from a utilitarian’s point of view, it is important to realize that both theories reached the same conclusion through different processes.

    Read More

  • Radiologic Technologist Career Research Paper

    465 Words  | 1 Pages

    now being mandatory for all citizens, we can only expect an increase in patient's seeking

    Read More

  • Linear Economics Essay

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    Living in this age of technology driven communication, rapid data transfer, and development of new processes has its many advantages. Humans have been able to work harder, faster, and more efficiently because of how everything has advanced. While there are many reasons to be grateful for these changes, there are also some questions relating to the economic model that has been presented. By looking more closely at both linear and circular economics, one should be able to gain a better understanding of how they both function in the world today.

    Read More

  • A Critical Analysis of Judith Wright's 'the Killer'

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    The consistent pattern of metrical stresses in this stanza, along with the orderly rhyme scheme, and standard verse structure, reflect the mood of serenity, of humankind in harmony with Nature. It is a fine, hot day, `clear as fire', when the speaker comes to drink at the creek. Birdsong punctuates the still air, like the tinkling of broken glass. However, the term `frail' also suggests vulnerability in the presence of danger, and there are other intimations in this stanza of the drama that is about to unfold. Slithery sibilants, as in the words `glass', `grass' and `moss', hint at the existence of a Serpent in the Garden of Eden. As in a Greek tragedy, the intensity of expression in the poem invokes a proleptic tenseness, as yet unexplained.

    Read More

  • elationship between art and society

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is this moment of recollection that he wonders about the contrast between the world of shadows and the world of the Ideal. It is in this moment of wonder that man struggles to reach the world of Forms through the use of reason. Anything that does not serve reason is the enemy of man. Given this, it is only logical that poetry should be eradicated from society. Poetry shifts man’s focus away from reason by presenting man with imitations of objects from the concrete world.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Nurses In Nursing

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nurses play a huge role in the health care system. A nurse is a bridge between doctor and patient. s/he is a compassionate, understanding and nonjudgmental yet firm and grounded. S/he is probably one of the most important yet least appreciated person in a patient’s life. When many think of a nurse they probably recognize them by a white hat and uniform. Today those white uniforms have been replaced with vividly colored scrubs worn by both male and female nurses, and many other employees in healthcare. Nurses are not just the people that are limited to bedside care and drug administration; they are highly skilled and well-educated nursing professionals.

    Read More

More about Power and Despair in Ozymandias

Open Document