Literature midterm2 revision

Ozymandias:
Author: Percy byshe shelly

-he was expelled from oxford for writing the necessity of atheism

Structure: Octave: Lines 1-8 of the poem focus on the statue. Sestet: Lines 9-14 of the poem
focus on the pedestal and surroundings.
Poetic Devices & Figurative Language:

Shelley uses enjambment, which involves a string of words stretching across the boundary of the end of
one line into the beginning of the next, to have his lines enact the stretching of time or sand that his
words describe, enjambment occurs first in line two, when describing the statue’s legs that still stand
despite the passage of time. Shelley’s enjambment of line 6 stretches the phrase about Ozymandias’s
"passions" being preserved in his stature all the way into line 7, The poem also uses enjambment to end
the poem, in lines 12 and 13. which suggests that the endurance of the desert is even more powerful
than the endurance of any human artifact, and will in the end wear all traces of humanity away.

Alliteration: repeated consonant sound at the beginning of words placed near each other, usually on the
same or adjacent lines. Ex. Of that colossal wreak boundless and bare

Figurative language

Irony: is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is
different from the actual meaning of the words. It is a difference between the appearance and the
reality. Ex. Look upon my works so mighty and despair nothing beside remains

Hyperbole Example: "King of kings“ Ozymandias the King ruled his own kingdom, but there were
certainly many other kingdoms that he had no control over and that did not even know of him.

Feeling and attitude:

-pride: the ruler was proud of his achievement ‘look upon my work’

-arrogance: the ruler believed that he is the most powerful ruler ‘Iam the king of kings’

-power: art has the power to preserve element of human existence but its only temporary ‘which yet
survive’

Symbols:

Sand-In the poem, sand is a symbol of nature’s power and also of time itself. The sand has eroded and
buried the statue and all of Ozymandias’s works, a reminder that nature can destroy all human
achievements.
The Statue -The statue of Ozymandias has a few different symbolic meanings. First, it is a physical
representation of the might of human political institutions, such as Ozymandias’s empire; this is the
symbolic purpose for which Ozymandias himself had the statue built. Second, the statue also symbolizes
the power of art. Through the sculptor's skill, the statue captures and preserves the "passions" of its
subject by stamping them on "lifeless" rock, Third, represent the speaker of the poem's hope and belief
that tyranny will always crumble, which also happened to be one of Shelley’s own personal political
passions.

Themes:

The Power of Humans :No power is permanent, regardless of how omnipotent a ruler believes himself
to be. Even the “king of kings” may one day be a forgotten relic of an “antique land.”

The Power of Nature: In the poem, it is shown that time not only destroyed this statue, but it also
essentially erased the entire kingdom the statue was built to overlook.

The Power of Art: The skillful rendering of the statue itself and the words carved alongside it have
survived long after Ozymandias and his kingdom turned to dust, and through this Shelley’s poem
positions art as perhaps the most enduring tool in preserving humanity’s legacy.

Man Versus Nature :As a Romantic poet, Shelley was deeply respectful of nature and skeptical of
humanity’s attempts to dominate it. Shelley’s imagery suggests a natural world whose might is far
greater than that of humankind. The desert, not Ozymandias, is thus the most powerful tyrant in
Shelley’s poem. It is “boundless” and “stretch[es] far away” as though it has conquered everything the
eye can see, just as it has conquered Ozymandias’s statue. Ozymandias may be the king of kings, but
even kings can be toppled by mere grains of sand.
The poem, " Ozymandias” was written by Percy Byshe Shelly which is aa writer who was expelled from
oxford for writing the necessity of atheism. This poem reflects pride and how the ruler was proud of his
achievements. The poem represent the theme power of art .and it used figurative language and irony
(What the authors wants to do ( example: convey, explore and etc. ? This is based on the question you
will choose in the exam),

The start of "Ozymandias " by Percy Byshe Shelly is a two stanza poem that is separated into 14 sets of
lines and written as a rhyme poem They range in length from 8 lines in the first stanza to 6 Moreover,
the power of humans which explain that No power is permanent ”nothing beside remains” , regardless
of how omnipotent a ruler believes himself to be. Even the “king of kings” may one day be a forgotten
relic of an “antique land.” Furthermore, the poet also uses imagery since "Ozymandias" describes a
statue, and statues are made from rocks and stones found in nature. While the poem
explores the way in which art necessarily involves some kind of engagement with the natural
world, it also thinks about how nature might fight back. in addition, the author used symbolism
as in the poem sand symbols the power of nature and time and that nature can destroy all
human achievement “the lone of ever sands stretch far away” and time describes how
eventually Ozymandias empire over time “round the decay” and the author also used figurative
language too make his idea even clearer as he used irony where words are used in such a way
that there intended meaning is different from its actual meaning “look upon my work so mighty
and despair nothing besides remain .

The author feels arrogant that the ruler believed that he is the most powerful ruler “iam the king
of kings” and pride that the ruler was proud of achievement “look upon my work”.
Thank you ma’m:
Author: Langton Hughes a writer shaped the harlem renaissance ,faced racism and discrimination

Setting

Place

Harlem, New York

Dark walkway

Mrs. Jones’s small flat

Time

Late at night ( 11:00 p.m.)

1950 (Clues: Blue Suede shoes)

Mood: tense, suspenseful

Characters:

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones

She is the first character introduced in the story. Her self-confidence is clear from the beginning: she
walks alone at nearly midnight and doesn’t flinch when a young boy attempts to rob her.

Roger

He is a young teenage boy, described as being "frail and willow-wild." He comes from difficult
circumstances, telling Mrs. Jones twice that there is no one at his house. His face is dirty, he hasn't
eaten, and he has resorted to theft in order to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.

Roger's Dirty Face (Symbol)

The dirtiness of Roger's face is a symbol of his lack of parental care. While holding Roger captive, Mrs.
Jones notices that his face is unwashed. From this detail, she deduces correctly that Roger doesn't have
anyone at home, even though it is eleven o'clock at night.

Blue Suede Shoes (Symbol)

The pair of blue suede shoes Roger wishes to buy is a symbol of prosperity and indulgence. As a
teenage boy, Roger hopes to emulate the fashion around him to have a sense of social belonging.

Ten Dollars (Symbol)

The ten dollars Mrs. Jones gives Roger at the end of the story is a symbol of her generosity. Although he
tried to rob her earlier that evening, Mrs. Jones sends Roger away with enough money to buy himself a
pair of blue suede shoes.
Themes:

Trust

Trust is a major theme in "Thank You Ma'am." Although Roger's attempt at stealing Mrs. Jones's purse
establishes a dynamic between the characters in which there is no trust, by the time Mrs. Jones drags
Roger to her home, she has gained enough trust to let him loose to wash his face.

Generosity

Expressed primarily through Mrs. Jones's kind and understanding treatment of Roger, generosity is
another of the story's major themes. Even though Roger attempts to steal her purse, Mrs. Jones does
not resort to punitive action.

Dignity

Dignity—a sense of pride in oneself and the state of being worthy of respect—is another dominant
theme in "Thank You Ma'am." The theme of dignity first enters the story when Mrs. Jones holds Roger
up by the front of his shirt and notices that his face is dirty. Mrs. Jones finds this lack of hygiene
undignified, telling Roger that if he were her son, she would "teach him right from wrong." 

Choice vs. Circumstance

The importance of personal choice: As in most of Hughes’s work, circumstances and society may be
unfair, but the individual has a choice. Roger, like Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, must create his
own dignity and freedom. "Thank You, Ma’m" proves that people make better decisions—and even
develop into more upright, moral individuals—when they are open and honest about their flaws and
errors