A Comparison of London by William Blake and Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

A Comparison of “London” by William Blake and “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Essay By Ozhan O’Sullivan

This essay compares two poems, “London” by William Blake, and “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Both writers were very romantic, heavily influenced by the revolutionary ideas and rapidly changing social and political values of the late 18th and early 19th century.

Similarities

Themes

A theme of Mortality lives in both poems. In “London” Blake talks about the death and suffering of people, and in “Ozymandias” Shelley talks about the death of a civilisation.

A sense of someone dominating, someone with greater power occurs in both poems. In “London” the rich have this upper hand against the poor, in “Ozymandias” this great leader is said to have this strength over his enemies and his own people.

In “Ozymandias” Shelley writes about a fallen empire, a civilisation that must have gone down hill because now there is no sign of it. In “London” Blake tells us that the poorer people of this city are going through a bad time, their empire has fallen like Ozymandias’s empire, but in this case London has not collapsed. Blake writes about how London had drifted to a time of poverty and disease.

Moods

The two poems, both give a feeling of depression and melancholy to the reader. Shelley uses different words to create this effect, while Blake writes ...

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Moods

The two poems, both give a feeling of depression and melancholy to the reader. Shelley uses different words to create this effect, while Blake writes how everyone is sad and weak.

Great arrogance is shown in both poems. In “Ozymandias” the king shows that he is arrogant, he describes himself on the pedestal, he talks about how great and powerful ruler he is. In “London” the arrogance of the church compares to this.

In “London” the rich betray the poor, because they have put their name on everything. In “Ozymandias” the sculptor betrays the king when the statue is being made.

Styles

Both poems have phonological techniques like alliteration, rhyme and onomatopoeia. They are both concisely written and although short in length are packed with layers of meaning and content.

Strong modifiers are used throughout both poems, which creates tension. Good adjectives also help with imagery give a clear mental picture; for example when Ozymandias’s face is described, with its sneer and frown.

Differences

Themes

In “Ozymandias” Shelley writes about an ancient civilisation. The poem is written in past tense. Blake writes about the London he is witnessing; “London” is written in the present tense.

An obvious difference is that Blake writes about a civilisation, which is in existence while Shelley writes about a civilisation that has been disintegrated.

The strength of authority is maintained in “London” while in “Ozymandias” it has dissipated.

Moods

“Ozymandias” fills you with mystery about where the traveller came from, and what happened to Ozymandias’s great civilisation, while in “London” Blake makes the poem mundane and bleak.

“Ozymandias” is a very optimistic poem; Shelley writes about how great the leader is, while in “London” Blake expresses the city as a place of unhappiness, he does not write about any good things about London, only bad, the poem is left pessimistic.