Poem Guide from Poetry Foundation
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69503/percy-bysshe-shelley-ozymandias
While searching for sources, I came across a poem guide from Poetry Foundation. This guide, explains the poems approach. What really caught my eye, while reading this poem guide, was how it described the poem as having a sidelong approach to its topic. I found this to be very interesting because it made me realize that the poem began with "I". Throughout the poem this seems to fade, and then becomes, somewhat of a mystery to whom the poem is referring to.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visage
The way that this poem is written, it is easy to lose yourself in its story, rather than finding the meaning of what the poem is trying to portray. The first time that I read "Ozymandias" I read the word visage and did not really understand what it meant. I proceeded to find the definition in Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and for some reason when I read visage the first time, I felt like it was describing more of a scenery.
Using these sources made me find things that I overlooked the first time I read though "Ozymandias". It made me realize how sources are incredibly important, and how big of a difference they make in ones research. Sources are a great tool that can help bring to light certain things that are hidden in literature.
Using these sources made me find things that I overlooked the first time I read though "Ozymandias". It made me realize how sources are incredibly important, and how big of a difference they make in ones research. Sources are a great tool that can help bring to light certain things that are hidden in literature.
That's an interesting idea, that Ozymandias took a sidelong approach to its topic. What the poem is really about is hubris and ruin, but all it really does is describe a scene. I think this sidelong approach makes it even more powerful than if Shelley had just said his theme straight-out.
ReplyDeleteThe framing narrative is very interesting- it seems to fade, as you say, from the very specific to the very general. It almost feels like Shelley imitates the last line of the poem in having this "lone and level [narrative] stretch far away" and disintegrate into the vast universe of thought as a mere echo of something once physical.
ReplyDeleteThe word visage really is an interesting word choice Shelley uses. Although another word may have been more clear initially I feel that "visage" portrays the humanity of Oxymandius that might not come through with the word "faca" of something similar
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