Ozymandias
Summary: speaker recalls a scene he was told about by a traveller of an old broken statue of an
ancient arrogant ruler which illustrates the impermanence of human power compared to the sands
of time.
Emotions/moods in poem:
Irony
Arrogance (in Ozymandias “ my name is Ozymandias, king of kings”)
Mocking (time mocking him and his temporary power, the sculptor mocking Ozymandias
with his “sneer” the way it's said he has “the hand that mock’d” which can mean made to
copy/capture the likeness of something or to make fun of something)
Form:
A sonnet, volta line 9 like Petrarchan, but doesn’t follow regular sonnet rhyme scheme perhaps
showing the way human power and structures can be destroyed. Uses iambic pentameter, but this is
often disrupted. Story is 2nd hand, distancing reader even more from the dead king
London
Summary: the narrator wanders around London, observing the despair and hopelessness of the
residents and expressing his anger at the institutions “black’ning church” and “palace” for their
failure to use their power to help the powerless citizens.
Emotions/moods:
Anger: at the institutions like church and royalty for not stepping in to help “every black’ning
church” and “the hapless soldier’s sigh runs in blood down palace walls”
Hopelessness and despair: of the citizens and the narrator looking at them repetition of
“every” in stanza 2.”mind-forged manacles” shows that people are trapped by societal
attitudes. The narrator ‘wanders’ which sounds purposeless, showing they are powerless to
change what’s happening too. “each chartered street” and “the chartered Thames” shows
that the problems are all over the city and even large natural features can’t escape the
control and oppression.
Distress: speaker hears various distressing noises “infant’s cry of fear” and “cry of every
man”
Form:
Dramatic monologue, first person narrator speaks passionately and personally about the sights he
sees. Unbroken ABAB thyme scheme echos relentless misery of the city. Regular rhythm could
reflect sound of speaker's feet as he wanders.
The extract from The Prelude
Summary: the narrator retells his childhood experience of rowing out onto a lake before seeing the
mountains and becoming afraid of the vastness of nature, returning to land with a troubling new
perspective on it.
Summary: speaker recalls a scene he was told about by a traveller of an old broken statue of an
ancient arrogant ruler which illustrates the impermanence of human power compared to the sands
of time.
Emotions/moods in poem:
Irony
Arrogance (in Ozymandias “ my name is Ozymandias, king of kings”)
Mocking (time mocking him and his temporary power, the sculptor mocking Ozymandias
with his “sneer” the way it's said he has “the hand that mock’d” which can mean made to
copy/capture the likeness of something or to make fun of something)
Form:
A sonnet, volta line 9 like Petrarchan, but doesn’t follow regular sonnet rhyme scheme perhaps
showing the way human power and structures can be destroyed. Uses iambic pentameter, but this is
often disrupted. Story is 2nd hand, distancing reader even more from the dead king
London
Summary: the narrator wanders around London, observing the despair and hopelessness of the
residents and expressing his anger at the institutions “black’ning church” and “palace” for their
failure to use their power to help the powerless citizens.
Emotions/moods:
Anger: at the institutions like church and royalty for not stepping in to help “every black’ning
church” and “the hapless soldier’s sigh runs in blood down palace walls”
Hopelessness and despair: of the citizens and the narrator looking at them repetition of
“every” in stanza 2.”mind-forged manacles” shows that people are trapped by societal
attitudes. The narrator ‘wanders’ which sounds purposeless, showing they are powerless to
change what’s happening too. “each chartered street” and “the chartered Thames” shows
that the problems are all over the city and even large natural features can’t escape the
control and oppression.
Distress: speaker hears various distressing noises “infant’s cry of fear” and “cry of every
man”
Form:
Dramatic monologue, first person narrator speaks passionately and personally about the sights he
sees. Unbroken ABAB thyme scheme echos relentless misery of the city. Regular rhythm could
reflect sound of speaker's feet as he wanders.
The extract from The Prelude
Summary: the narrator retells his childhood experience of rowing out onto a lake before seeing the
mountains and becoming afraid of the vastness of nature, returning to land with a troubling new
perspective on it.
