Page 1: Analysis of "Ozymandias"

This page provides a detailed Ozymandias poem analysis English literature GCSE, breaking down the sonnet line by line and examining its key elements.

The poem begins with the narrator recounting a story told by a traveler from an "antique land." This framing device sets the scene for the description of the ruined statue of Ozymandias, believed to be based on the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.

Vocabulary: Antique land - An ancient civilization, likely referring to Egypt

The vivid imagery of the "two vast and trunkless legs of stone" and the "shattered visage" creates a powerful contrast between the statue's former grandeur and its current state of decay.

Highlight: The description of the statue's "frown and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command" emphasizes the tyrannical nature of Ozymandias

Shelley employs several poetic techniques to enhance the poem's impact:

• Alliteration: "vast and trunkless"
• Sibilance: "Stand in the desert... sands stretch"
• Enjambment: Lines flow into each other, creating a sense of continuity

Example: The use of enjambment in "whose frown / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command" emphasizes the statue's imposing expression

The poem's structure as a Petrarchan sonnet with iambic pentameter adds to its rhythmic quality and reinforces its themes.

Quote: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

This central quote reveals the irony at the heart of the poem. The boastful inscription contrasts sharply with the statue's ruined state, highlighting the transience of power and human achievements.

The final lines describe the vast, empty desert surrounding the statue, emphasizing the ultimate power of nature over human creations.

Definition: Irony - The use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning

Shelley's background as a Romantic poet who disliked absolute monarchies and was inspired by the French Revolution informs the poem's critique of tyranny and oppression.

Page 2: Analysis of "London" by William Blake

This page offers a comprehensive London by William Blake analysis, examining the poem's themes, structure, and historical context.

William Blake's "London" presents a scathing critique of the city during the Industrial Revolution, highlighting poverty, oppression, and social injustice.

Context: Blake was a Victorian/Georgian poet writing during a time of significant social and economic change in London

The poem's structure consists of four quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme, mirroring the speaker's journey through London's streets.

Key themes explored in the poem include:

• Oppression and lack of power
• Poverty and social inequality
• Corruption of institutions (church, monarchy)
• Loss of innocence

Vocabulary: Chartered - Regulated, controlled; suggests the streets and even the Thames river are under strict control

Blake uses repetition extensively to emphasize the pervasive nature of suffering in London:

Quote: "And mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe"

This repetition of "every" and "marks" underscores the universality of misery in the city.

Highlight: The phrase "mind-forged manacles" is a powerful metaphor suggesting that people are mentally enslaved by their beliefs and societal constraints

Blake employs vivid imagery to illustrate the city's problems:

• "Chimney-sweeper's cry" represents child labor
• "Hapless soldier's sigh" alludes to war and its consequences
• "Youthful harlot's curse" highlights issues of prostitution and poverty

Example: The image of blood running down palace walls symbolizes how the suffering of common people stains the powerful institutions

The poem concludes with a striking oxymoron:

Quote: "And blights with plagues the marriage hearse"

This final line encapsulates the poem's bleak view of London, where even joyous occasions like marriage are tainted by misery and death.