Percy Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias,” and Robert Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess”, are quite different. The similarities between them are that both poems depict their power. “Ozymandias”, which is power, is a poem showing that time passes insignificantly compared with human life. Even for egotistical rulers like Ozymandias who are very powerful, time is not. “My Last Duchess” is power through narrative, which makes it feel as if he is speaking directly to the reader.
Shelley wrote “Ozymandias”, a poem about a ruined statuary of a strong ruler who once controlled an old kingdom. Browning shows Ozymandias to be a very cruel ruler. His “sneer” suggests that Ozymandias used his power as a cruel leader. It leads readers to believe that Ozymandias, the ancient kingdom’s ruler, was most likely a dictator. “Cold commands” is an example for harsh alliteration. It’s evident that the repeated letter ‘c’ at the end of both words again represents power. The word “command” may also signify the dictatorship over pharaohs. Shelley used alliteration for the “boundless bare desert”, which emphasizes the desert’s inevitability, which has been around far longer than its statue. His statue has fallen, leaving nothing for “Bare” or Ozymandias. It may also represent the extent of his influence that has been lost. The rhythmic iambic pentameter can also represent a heartbeat. Perhaps ironic, since his life was already over. We see this by the fact that he refers to his surname as “a nine-hundred-years-old name”. This shows his importance in his family’s history for many hundreds and years. His surname, which is still very significant nine hundred year later, suggests that his name was known all over Italy. To think that his name is one of power over all these centuries, the Duke must be very proud of it.
Ozymandias has an Iambic Pentameter meter. The Iambic Pentameter, accompanied by the accompanying enjambment gives you the opportunity to tell a story through poetry. The poem almost tells a story. It is a glimpse into the life of the Egyptian king. Shelley says that Enjambment means “nothing but remains”. It is evident that the time has passed and everything is falling apart, despite the accomplishments of Ozymandias. Irony comes in the fact that even a powerful King cannot prevent the devastating effects of age.
Browning’s poem, titled “My Last Duchess”, has also been written in iambic pentameter. This shows that Browning’s poem, “My Last Duchess”, is almost a story about his life and struggles with his Duchess. This is a dramatic monologue. It is clear that the speaker is not the poet. This gives the impression that the poem was written by a poet. The audience feels like they are present even though there isn’t one. This makes the words seem more powerful because the reader can sense that the duke is speaking directly at them. Browning’s clever use of dramatic monologues creates an illusion of power.
“Ozymandias” refers to a sonnet. It is a fourteen line poem in iambic pentameter. This sonnet was unusual because the rhyme scheme does not conform to a Petrarchan standard. This indicates that things are out-of-place. Ozymandias has lost his power and achievements. This shows that Ozymandias’ power has been overshadowed by time.
