Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" is about a ruined statue of a powerful ruler who once controlled an ancient kingdom. Browning depicts that Ozymandias was a very harsh ruler - this is shown by the quote, “His sneer of cold command”, his “sneer” shows that Ozymandias somewhat abused his power because he was cruel leader; this leads the reader on to think that King Ozymandias was most liely a dictator in his ancient kingdom. “Cold command” is an example of harsh alliteration, the strong repetition of the letter ‘c’ at the start of both words once again gives a representation of power, “command” also represents the dictatorship of pharaos kingdom and the use of the word “cold” may show that by being a dictator and abusing power this can
The people who fork through the trash symbolize that we may, one day pick at the remnants of our long lost culture, 'with an eternity in which to turn up some peculiar sensation'. Furthering this image of hell, Charon, “the demon with the long barge pole” from Greek mythology, is depicted as “a man, wiping his eyes”. The speaker alliteratively remarks, “Someone who worked here would have to weep,” highlighting the difference between reality, and hell, the speaker then comments on this image, “how can he avoid a hatred of men?” This comparison emphasizes the dark reality of the situation, leading to the downfall of humanity. Gray further extends the horrific experience to the reader
Poet T.S. Eliot infamously referred to Titus as “one of the stupidest and most uninspired plays ever written,” while playwright Edward Ravenscroft dismissed it simply as a “heap of rubbish” (Shakespeare, 399). Yet for all of Titus’s grotesque horrors, the violence that seemingly repulsed Eliot and company should not be viewed as erratic, uncalculated acts. Rather they should be understood as representations of a wider, symbolic significance. It is through dismemberment, and the dismemberment of hands in particular, that the play can be seen through an emblematic perspective to signify the justification of vengeance and the loss of political and personal agency.
DANTE’S PURGATORY “O Christians, arrogant, exhausted, wretched, whose intellects are sick and cannot see, who place your confidence in backward steps…why does your mind presume to flight when you are still like the imperfect grub, the worm before it has attained its final form?” (Purgatorio 10. 121-128) Dante and Virgil take visit the first terrace which is revolved around pride and as we know pride is recognized as one of the most terrible sins that will lead one to hell (Inferno) because pride is revolved around the concept of greed and loving oneself to the extent of being oblivious of the accomplishments of others. Not only is pride one of the most notorious sins in both the Inferno and Purgatory but recognized as one of the most seven deadly sins according to the
Mrs. Shireman English 10 – 8 14 April 2010 Title “They appeared to me white-whiter than the sheet upon which I trace these words – and think even to grotesqueness; thin with the intensity of their expression of firmness – of immoveable resolution – of stern contempt of human torture” (Poe, Pit 1). In both the “Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Pit and The Pendulum” Poe uses many symbols, which present a frightening view on death. “Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man.
• “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” (235) Reasoning: This quote that was stated at the end of the book shows the reader and myself that the world of savagery only leads to murder and sorrow. That in fact, humans are not naturally civil. They’re naturally evil and animalistic. And this quote alone could destroy Rousseau’s idea that humans are naturally
Without them, my system of rule would be nothing. My kingdom lies within the MRAP, and subsides within this desert. My kingdom is a wasteland of dirt. My kingdom… “Dude you are obsessed with this damn truck, what do you call it? Helga?” My co-pilot Lcpl.
This is where Gardner uses the epic poem Beowulf to disparage the belief that life has no purpose. He does this by making Grendel into a tragedy as a way to place emphasis on the fact that if you have no purpose in life, you are basically a failure. Gardner shows us the differences between two contrasting sides as the novel brings closure with a battle of human meaning verses having no purpose in
It is superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are simply books that show the world it's own shame. That is all." This clearly shows how his moral ambiguity unknowingly poisons Dorian and destroys him from the inside
Having observed, in John Updike’s rendering, that the whole animal Kingdom is under the reign of mortality; we now see all of Nature as suffering fading and extinction as well. This poem is brief and very beautiful. It is fitting, in view of the relative importance of man compared to the importance of Nature, to make it shorter. The tone is gently uplifting and appropriately conducive to meditation, in view of the content, which is the theme of these two poetic works combined: we are a fallen species on a polluted planet where nothing gold/good is incorruptible or remains untainted, and if it did, it would still be