Irony In 'Ozymandias'

Words: 1134
Pages: 5
Open Document
Irony in Poetry
There are three types of irony in literature: verbal irony, when an author says one thing and means something else; dramatic irony, when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not know; and irony of situation, when there is a discrepancy between the expected result and the actual result. Three poems that are good examples of the uses of these forms of irony are: “Ozymandias”, by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which uses dramatic irony; “Titanic”, by David R. Slavitt, which illustrates irony of situation; and “Much Madness is divinest Sense— “, by Emily Dickinson, which illustrates verbal irony.
In “Ozymandias”, a speaker, possibly the author, though this is not made explicitly clear, describes a conversation …show more content…
The poem continues by saying that, if one agrees with the majority, they can be considered sane, but if one is different, they must be dealt with by the majority. The irony of this poem lies in the fact that the author is not seriously saying that society approves of unstable, insane people and is against people with sense and wisdom; she is using the poem to prove the point of how judgmental people can be of other people who are different and harmless. There is a distinct possibility that this poem coincides with the fact that Emily Dickinson was a recluse and, in her day, reclusive people with reclusive lifestyles were considered eccentric and strange. Therefore, this poem could be a reference to her possible treatment by some people who did not understand her and just assumed that she was strange. One particular example that could indicate of this possible treatment by some people is how she was sometimes known as the “partially cracked poetess of Amherst.” (Dickinson 1058). Credit for this term is given to both Thomas Wentworth Higginson, his wife, and the public in general; the intention behind this term is also not clear, but, whether a joke, a term of affection based on her reclusive lifestyle, or a mild insult, this term shows how some people could view recluses in Emily Dickinson’s
Show More

Related Documents: Irony In 'Ozymandias'

Comparing Irony In 'Ozymandias And Barbie Doll'

Jiayi Zhu English Composition 1 Essay #1 In “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall, “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley and “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, the interplay of dramatic, verbal, and situational irony determines the psychological condition of the protagonist. "Ballad of Birmingham" has a subtitle indicating that was a response to the 1963 bombing a church in Alabama that killed four young girls. In the first part of the poem, the daughter asks her mother whether she can join the march…

Words 655 - Pages 3

Percy Bysshe Shelley and Ozymandias Essay

Paper One over, Ozymandias Born in Broadbridge Heath, England, on August 4, 1792, Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the epic poets of the 19th century. Percy Shelley was also one of the major English Romantic poets. He did not gain much fame in his lifetime for the poems, but following his death, he was recognized for the great art he created through his writing. Shelley died around the age of thirty by drowning due to a boating accident. He died July 8, 1827. In August, 1811, Shelley ran away and…

Words 547 - Pages 3

Time: To his Coy Mistress and Great Ruler Essay

humanity to overcome its restrictions and in doing so, expose weaknesses that pose a reminder of humanities finite, conclusive lives. This notion of time has inspired poets such as Andrew Marvell in To His Coy Mistress, and Perce Bysshe Shelley in Ozymandias. These poets challenge and provoke thought about the fundamental beliefs of time which is evident throughout their texts through the use of both language and structural devices. The concept of time being a physical reality is a concern as its…

Words 976 - Pages 4

Poetry Essay

arouses the senses to a deeper meaning.One of the greatest romantic poets ,Percy Bysshe Shelley, created poems that embody both complex philosophical positions and his attitudes towards them with the help of symbols pulled from nature(134). His poem “Ozymandias” caricaturizes the fall of glory through the statue of an Egyptian pharaoh to portray the ineveatable reality about the insignificance of life to the course of nature. The basis of the poem is centered around the symbolism of the statue of the…

Words 516 - Pages 3

Essay on english 12

Name: ________________________________________________ English 12 Credit 5 The Romantic Period Pacing Guide Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 COMPLETE pp. 1-4 COMPLETE pp. 4-9 COMPLETE pp. 9-14 COMPLETE pp. 14-17 COMPLETE pp. 18-19 INCLUDING LITERARY PERIOD TEST Question #4 INCLUDING CHAPTER 5 TEST—PART B Question #10 INCLUDING READING RESPONSE Question #6 INCLUDING the WRITING ACTIVITY (Rough Draft) PRESENT YOUR ROUGH DRAFT TO YOUR…

Words 3856 - Pages 16

Glossary: Variety and Abstract Ideas-for Example Essay

thousand times. Hyponymy the relationship between general and specific lexical items-for example, cat is a hyponym of animal. Idiolect an individual's idiosyncratic speech features. Irony the humorous use of words to imply the opposite of what they usually mean-for example, Shelley's Ozymandias provides an example of irony in the lines inscribed on the base of the crumbling statue Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! Jargon a specialised vocabulary, usually for a particular field of endeavour…

Words 938 - Pages 4

Essay on Next To Of Course God America I

100 years after Shakespeare, sonnets were more popularly about other stuff. Yes, there were still love sonnets, like Elizabeth Barratt Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese but there were plenty of other types too. My absolute and utter favourite is Ozymandias ­ a poem about power and how time lets us forget even the most cruel tyrant. Other poems that you will need to look at to get a full understanding of next to of course god america i include: Anthem for Doomed Youth Futility Both sonnets…

Words 3676 - Pages 15