comparison: ozymandias and hawk roosting Flashcards
on POWER
how is power presented in these poems (3x key ideas)
- power is unchanging vs temporary
- Those who possess complete power are associated with violence, however in hawk roosting this violence is almost justified as it is an inherent part of its nature
- The arrogance of those in power- believe they are invincible- hubris
power as unchanging vs temporary quotes for ozymandias
- antique land
- half sunk, a shattered visage lies
- nothing beside remains
- boundless and bare
- vast and trunkless legs of stone
- the lone and level sands stretch far away
power as unchanging vs temporary analysis for these quotes:
- antique land
- half sunk, a shattered visage lies
- nothing beside remains
- boundless and bare
- vast and trunkless legs of stone
- the lone and level sands stretch far away
- By framing the poem as a story (a ‘traveller’) within a poem (by the persona), creates a sense of distance- ‘Ozymandias’ is not as famous as he thought he would have been as he is not remembered, instead, he is history.
- ‘antique land’
Has connotation of being old, outdated and fragile- his land is no longer relevant indicating he has no power - ‘half sunk, a shattered visage lies’
Statue’s broken face suggests that no person- not even Ozymandias- has long lasting power as he cannot control the damaging effects of time - ‘nothing beside remains’
Inevitable death- Shelley’s atheism - ‘boundless and bare’
over time there is a sense of nothing, emphasised by alliteration - ‘vast and trunkless legs of stone’
Absence of life, vitality, was originally powerful and sturdy but is now weak and broken, ‘vast’ emphasises size and stature but it is still incomplete (‘trunkless’) - ‘the lone and level sands stretch far away’
Ends of image of desert- desert has outlived Ozymandias just like nature outlives man - Ramses II of Egypt had many statues build in his honour, and part of the statue was acquired by the British museum in the 1800s which Shelley wrote this poem in anticipation of.
power as unchanging vs temporary quotes for hawk roosting
- nothing has changed since i began
- no arguments assert my right
- i am going to keep things like this
power as unchanging vs temporary analysis for these quotes:
- nothing has changed since i began
- no arguments assert my right
- i am going to keep things like this
- Nothing has changed since I began
Absolute power since existence, reign will never end - No arguments assert my right
Kills without mercy, no one can challenge it, rejects all arguments, dictator, supreme power, ‘right’ suggests that it is in hawk’s nature to be at ‘the top’ of the food chain, suggesting it’s power is natural and therefore unchallenged by nature - I am going to keep things like this
Begins and ends with I, arrogant, egotistical, framing device
End stopping highlights decisiveness and control, hawk has the ability to maintain its power unlike Ozymandias
Title- ‘hawk’ is first and believes it is first, emphasises its power and importance suggests it is about immutability from the start, ‘roosting’- resting, comfortable, safe and in control- will remain
Those who possess complete power are associated with violence, however in hawk roosting this violence is almost justified as it is an inherent part of its nature quotes for ozymandias
- wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
- the hand that mocked them
Those who possess complete power are associated with violence, however in hawk roosting this violence is almost justified as it is an inherent part of its nature analysis of these quotes:
- wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
- the hand that mocked them
- ‘wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command’
A ‘wrinkled lip’ conjures the image of someone grimacing in disgust and contempt, thus displaying the king’s disregard for his subjects, viewing them as inferior and below him. This antipathy is then paired with immense power which enables him to exploit and torture the people he rules with no empathy or remorse. Shelley can use this to show the danger of a single individual having unlimited power invested in them (be it political or religious), as it enables them to see all other people as inferior and thus derive an ability to oppress them. Coupled with ‘sneer’ (a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark or tone) connotes to malicious cruelty and being heartless. It is as if he is mocking his subjects and how his insolence and contempt for subjects that he views as below him. Presents him as arrogant, confident and having a sense of superiority. - ‘the hand that mocked them’
The artists work is mocking the king, sees the glory in a statue that is criticising yet his confidence in his own supremacy means he overlooks any evidence that contradicts the grandeur. ‘mocked’ can also be interpreted as ‘to make a model of’ as the sculptor has literally made a model of the king- perhaps it was not his intention to portray him negatively (he had a ‘heart that fed’) but his intention was to please him- but that simply by modelling Ozymandias it was inevitable that his cruelty would show due to it being an inextricable part of him.
Those who possess complete power are associated with violence, however in hawk roosting this violence is almost justified as it is an inherent part of its nature quotes for hawk roosting
- hooked head and hooked feet
- in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat
- my manners are tearing off heads
Those who possess complete power are associated with violence, however in hawk roosting this violence is almost justified as it is an inherent part of its nature analysis of these quotes:
- hooked head and hooked feet
- in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat
- my manners are tearing off heads
- Hooked head and hooked feet
Anaphora represents how every part of the hawk’s body is designed to kill, perhaps suggests that violence is innately linked to power in nature, as predators are adapted to kill, repetition of ‘hooked’ emphasises this control - In sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat
Even in sleep kills go ‘perfectly’, constantly thinking of death, fixation, obsession
Only rhyming couplet in poem- emphasises how precise and controlled its kills are - My manners are tearing off heads
Oxymoron, juxtaposes politeness and extreme violence, brutal and vivid imagery
Violent imagery could have been influenced by his father who was a WW1 veteran, and that he is interested in the innocent savagery of animals
Although Hughes said that hawk roosting was simply about a hawk and nature thinking, it can be appreciated on two levels- the cruelty of nature, but also can relate to the world and the thoughts of a person with power, whether a bully in school or a political leader
and the thoughts of a person with power, whether a bully in school or a political leader
The arrogance of those in power- believe they are invincible- hubris quotes for ozymandias
- king of kings
- look on my words, ye mighty and despair
and the thoughts of a person with power, whether a bully in school or a political leader
The arrogance of those in power- believe they are invincible- hubris analysis of these quotes:
- king of kings
- look on my words, ye mighty and despair
- ‘king of kings’
Religious tone that implies arrogance- thinks he is better than God, even challenging other rulers, views himself as omnipotent. However this claim seems to be ironic to the reader when they are known only via the report of the traveller. - Look on my words, ye Mighty, and despair!’
Imperative, stressed syllable at the start of the line heightens his tone of command. Feels superior, further highlighting his arrogance yet its also ironic- tells others to despair because of his size and works, but they should actually despair because their power is temporary and ultimately unimportant just like his
Caesura, is comfortable in power, takes his time, - Poem is mostly a sonnet (love poem to himself, egotistical), but the 10th line is a clear exception to the iambic pentameter- Ozymandias is talking about himself so perhaps reflects his arrogance and the atypical rhyme scheme could be Shelley acknowledging that everything fades in the end (even poetic tradition)
- Egyptian Pharoh’s were seen as a god on earth, head of the government and leader of the army- even Ozymandias name suggests that it is natural for him to rule (‘Ozy’= ‘ozium’ in Greek meaning ‘to breathe’ or ‘air’ and ‘mandias’= ‘mandate’ in Greek meaning ‘to rule’), or in other words, Ramses II of Egypt
- Dramatic irony- statue has been broken and forgotten along with his legacy, title is his name (believes he should be title, first, centre of everything)
and the thoughts of a person with power, whether a bully in school or a political leader
The arrogance of those in power- believe they are invincible- hubris quotes for hawk roosting
- now i hold Creation in my foot
- earth face upwards for my inspection
- it is all mine
and the thoughts of a person with power, whether a bully in school or a political leader
The arrogance of those in power- believe they are invincible- hubris analysis of these quotes:
- now i hold Creation in my foot
- earth face upwards for my inspection
- it is all mine
- Now I hold creation in my foot
Reversal, stanza highlights pride of hawk, suggests that God worked hard to create the hawk but now nature and God are presented as tiny prey at the hawk’s mercy- dictator, allusion to God where it suggests all of God’s actions have led up to the hawk’s very existence, suggesting a complete disregard for every other animal, juxtaposition between immeasurable ‘creation’ and tangible ‘foot’ creates a tone of complete arrogance and naivety- hawk believes it possesses all power - ‘earth face upwards for my inspection
Semantic field of high up, superior, emphasises how it looks down on everything- literally and figuratively, arrogant and hubristic cone sounds sinister and tyrannical- scrutinising the earth, no capital letter for ‘earth’ could highlight how the hawk does not think it is as important, ‘inspection’ could even indicate a false sense of power- believes it has control over everything - ‘it is all mine’
Selfish, power obsessed nature, violence doesn’t phase it- likes power
Dramatic monologue from perspective of hawk- gives power over silent reader, equal length stanzas- hawk controls poem’s shape, enjambment and caesura used- hawk is not caged by lines, stops sentences when and where it wants
