My Last Duchess is a poem which explores the conflict in the
relationship between the powerful duke and the powerless duchess. Similarly
Ozymandius also explores a power imbalance, this time between the dictator and
his “lifeless things”, however it differs in that Ozymandius is not the most
powerful in the poem (as the Duke is),
as Ozymandius’ power is overtaken by Nature whose “lone and level sands drift
on”.
London is a poem which explores the negative effects of
powerful institutions of the church and monarchy on “every infant” and “every
man”. Similarly Charge of the Light Brigade also explores the power of the institution
of the army – specifically the leadership, whose commands are for the soldiers “not
to question why”, however it differs in that The Charge of the Light Brigade explicitly
highlights the loss of life that occurs due to bad leadership from powerful
institutions, whereas London merely hints at this when it talks of the “blood
runs down the palace walls”.
Comments
Post a Comment