Studied by 18 people
ozymandius
the poem is structured as a sonnet showing that the poem is about the love of power
Ozymandias is the Egyptian ruler of a large area
the tyrant Ozymandius is being compared to modern day rulers
ozymandius “two vast trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert“
imagery of broken statue shows the tyrant has been forgotten
statue was built to be memorial and part of the king’s legacy
represents the power of man being limited and finite. time and nature are more powerful
london “black’ning church appalls“
hints that religion does not help the most vulnerable
black’ning could refer to smog, ash or tarnished reputation
london “the mind-forged manacles I hear“
metaphor reveals how people are oppressed and trapped by their own thoughts
mental toll during industrial revolution
checking out me history (COMH)”dem tell me”
british tell him what they want to tell him.
they have no say in their education
(COMH)”bandage up me eye with me own history blind me to my own identity”
his identity is concealed from him
implied violence and psychological harm
imposition of colonial culture on his ancestral culture.
storm on the island(SONI) “you may think that the sea is company but no when the flung spray hits”
the elements are unpredictable and decieving.
deceivingy picturesque views make it seem safe when it is not
the elements are a force we cannot fight but only hide from
(SONI) “spits like a tame cat turned savage”
tame cats are not usually savage
metaphor conveys the sudden ,unexpected and violent aspects of the storm
(SONI) “we just sit tight”
collective pronoun of “we”
fear brings people together
poppies “I resisted the impulse to run my fingers through the gelled blackthorns of your hair”
her son is mature and grown up and is now untouchable
the religious imagery of blackthorns symbolises son as a sacrafic
poppies ”the world overflowing like a treasure chest”
simile comparing the world to treasure chest
treasure being a precious reward
considering the implication through the poem that the young man dies, it could show that he left the world so full of promise and excitement
poppies “making tucks darts pleats”
feeling nervous now her son has left
domestic imagery of mother making clothing for children
war photographer “blood stained into foreign dust”
symbolism of loss of life in foreign dust does not count as much for those directly affected
shows the lasting effects of war even in countries not directly affected
tissue “buildings“ “maps“ “fine slips“
the semantic field of the items
the items are examples of things humans have given power to despite not having any power
emphasizes man’s desire to control everything in the world
tissue “find a way to trace a grand design with living structure”
the metaphor shows the writer’s suggestion for humanity to come together as living human beings to create something new, better, and change.
things that we assign power do not really hold power and that humankind should be able to come together to start something anew
the emigree “as time rolls its tanks”
military imagery reminds us that her city is in conflict
time is the enemy of memory as we forget
time is personified as it takes over like an army
the emigree “that childs vocabulary i carried here”
her first language is different to the one she speaks now
trying to hold on to her first language
feels like shes loosing it creating a sense of loss and mourning
the emigree “glow” “white streets” “and my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight”
semantic field of light imagery throughout the poem as a main theme
memories are a source of warm comfort and light
shadow representing gloom and despair
glow could show the joyful glee in the memory of her city
the white light repitition in the poem could show her childhood purity and innocence
kamikaze “pearl grey pebbles”
imagery of pearl grey pebbles add to theb theme of memory
despite the horrific and dark theme of kamikaze the writer when looking back at the memories of that time all she remembers is the pearl grey pebbles and waiting for her father on the beach
theme of memory is importantb as it means the reader gets to see how this circumstance wouuld have been seen and remembered as a child
childhood purity linking to emigree
kamikaze “like a huge flag waved first one way then the other in a figure of eight”
the figure of 8 creates the image of an infinite symbol perhaps suggesting that the pilot is trapped
war is an endless cycle
even when he is home and chooses life over death he is shunned “no longer the father we loved”
Note 
Flashcard (93)