Ozymandias

The poem Ozymandias reminded me of when the US marines pulled down the statue of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The poem developes the theme that nothing lasts because even though his name is "Ozymanmdias, king of kings" he is left in pieces. "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command"(Shelley 721). The imagery really gives you the idea that this "great" statue was destructed on purpose. Maybe to symbolize that he now is no longer the great and mighty. "The lone and level sands stretch far away,"(721) this is what is great and everlasting. Ozymanmdias is a king, like all kings, in that he is both loved and hated. "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;" (721) His hand may have mocked his enemies or maybe he was a Tyrant that mocked his people. Either way one looks at it he is a king that bullies the weak. Others may have loved this king, Ozymanmdias, because he fought for them and fed them.

Irony in "To His Coy Mistress"

In the poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell, the poet uses irony to convey the speaker’s will to his unwilling lover. There are many examples of verbal irony throughout the poem coming in the form of witty retorts, such as, “And you should, if you please, refuse / Until the conversion of the Jews” (lines 9-10), “And your quaint honor turn to dust / And into ashes all my lust” (29-30). These are examples of irony because the speaker knows the lady will not stay chaste forever, but uses hyperbole to try and convince her and himself otherwise.

The main irony does not come from the language of the poem instead from the situation that the speaker finds himself in. As our speaker professes his love to his mistress, a pure and chaste lady, he begins to list the amount of time he would take to appreciate all of her virtues as she wished; “Had we but world enough and time / This coyness, lady, were no crime / We would sit down and think which way / To walk, and pass our long love’s day” (1-4). The speaker well knows that the young woman will not remain so forever and neither will he, and wishes to consummate his relationship with his love before time or some unforeseen event separates them; “The graves a fine and private place / But none, I think, do there embrace” (31-32).

The ultimate irony comes from the fact that the speaker and the lady listener are correct in their assertions. The speaker in that, when with someone you love, all time is precious and coyness is a virtue that must be held in reserve for every minute could be your last with that loved one. The lady is correct in that, without said virtue, what is such a love worth if one cannot be sure of its purity and strength of commitment.

Barbie Doll

Many people think that media influences, peer pressure, and social norms are only targeted towards women or girls but this is not true. Males are victims of this as well. In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, the effects that social norms and peer pressure on a young girl and evident. She is teased for her physical appearance when underneath she may be just as good as or better than those teasing her may be. If I were to re-write this poem to reflect experiences of a young man I would gear it toward the idea that many people limit the effects of peer pressure, social norms, and media influences to females but males also struggle with these things as well. The Barbie Doll is not the only one looking perfect, the ken doll also provides an unrealistic role model for males.

Porphyria's Lover

In the poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning, the poem had me confused at first. After I read it a couple times it really made sense. For my thoughts I didn’t think if you truly loved someone you wouldn’t kill them with their own hair. Also at the end when he says, “I propped her head up as before, only, this time my shoulder bore, her head, which droops upon it still: the smiling rosy little head” (Browning 720). It shows he still had her there, just now it was very quiet there and the rest of the night they just sat there together. It was very crazy how she let him kill her as she was snuggling up to him and told him she loved him. But the development of him actually killing her was great to Browning because it was very unexpected to me.

Tone in Porphyria's Lover

The tone in Porphyria’s Lover is very mysterious and gloomy. When reading the poem, a person can’t help but realize the speaker is odd. It seems he doesn’t change his tone and if he were speaking it to an audience it would be monotone. Even when he explains the murder, the wording doesn’t change and his expression doesn’t change. This poem and the speaker are detached from what happened. There is a bit of happiness in the poem though but as soon as one thinks the poem will have a happy ending, it becomes depressing again. “Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me…The moment she was mine, mine, fair…I found a thing to do, and all her hair in one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around, and strangled her” (Browning, lines 32-41). The speaker was oblivious to the fact that Porphyria felt no pain, “No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain” (Browning, lines 41-42). It’s selfish to think she didn’t feel any pain and it’s selfish to take one’s life to keep their love forever.

Ozymandias

The poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley shows the theme “nothing lasts” in a variety of different ways. In the desert the king of kings said “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”(Shelley 721). But when you would look around there was nothing there at all. When in the desert the things would sing into the sand either due to quick sand or just the sand over time. Nothing lasts in life according to the king and “which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things”(Shelley 721). It shows just how they haven’t been able to last because there at this land nothing does last.

To His Coy Mistress

In the poem, "To His Coy Mistress," there is some irony hidden within the lines. For example, early on in the poem, the writer tells about how he loves this woman. By the end of the story, he is talking about death and how the "grave is a fine and private place." He also says that we need to "Tear our pleasures with rough strife/Thorough the iron gates of life." It is ironic that you need to tear through the iron gates of life.

Barbie Doll

In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, it reflects the life of a girl going through tough times where people judge her. They tell her what’s wrong and she tries to fix it because she would rather try to fit in. The poem doesn’t show what a young man goes through. In high school a young man has to deal with being attractive, muscular, and try to be nice towards the ladies. If they don’t have a good looking girl, no girl at all, or even any girls that are friends they have a time where they’ll get picked on as well. He’ll then try to correct that and fix them probably. He could then get turned down or even made fun of more. This could lead him into drugs or alcohol. Guys do have a lot of things that go just as wrong as the ladies do. “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs” (Piercy 991). Here for the guys it would be the muscles or the masculine part of them and then when they start getting that squeaky voice instead of the other changes a girl faces. Every guy and girl faces hard times and they do need to know how to deal with them. This poem only shows what may happen to girls but could be reversed to what happens to the guys.

Ozymandias

When you read the poem "Ozymandias," you get the impression that the reader is saying that nothing lasts. You get a sense of sadness when you read the poem. When I read the poem, I picture a dessert where everything is dry and dead, and nothing can survive. The different speakers in the poem adds different voices and tones in the poem, which create contribution to the theme. The writer also suggests that some things do survive by having a character say that he is the "King of kings."

Tone in "To His Coy Mistress"

In the poem, “To His Coy Mistress”, Andrew Marvell uses an almost fairy tale tone. It is somewhat difficult to understand on first reading because he embellishes almost every line. Through the speaker’s use of exaggeration he displays imagery in his poem. However, because of the exaggeration, it is a fairy tale image. Using this embellished image, the speaker tries to convince this maiden that he loves her so much, but it seems he is only toying with her in an attempt to satisfy his lust for her. It’s as if he is telling her how good looking and gorgeous she is, just to get in bed with her. For example: “My vegetable love should grow/Vaster than empires, and more slow./ An hundred years should go to praise/ Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze,/ Two hundred to adore each breast, / But thirty thousand to the rest.” (Marvell, lines 11-16) I am not really sure what, “vegetable love” is, but it seems to me as if the speaker is joking with this woman. However, the speaker may be lost in his love for the woman he is speaking about. If this were the case, I’m not sure that even the woman would understand what he is talking about and with all this ridiculous exaggeration, the poems sounds silly.

My Last Duchess

The man/speaker in “My Last Duchess” seemed as if he was a controlling, possessive and jealous man who didn’t like others looking at his wife or her giving a certain look to others, “She had a heart…too soon made glad, Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere” (Browning, lines 21-24). The speaker sounds like he was a king or a person of high status. There are stories about kings and higher class people not getting their way and either beheading their wives, feuding with others, etc. and this speaker seems he could be one of these people, “Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt…but who passed without much the same smile…I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together” (Browning, lines 43-45). The speaker is not interested in the picture of his late wife; she’s just another possession of his to keep like he always wanted.
The speaker is talking to an emissary of a count to arrange a marriage between the speaker/duke and the unknown count’s daughter. The duke only provides information he wants the count to hear which only tells half the story and makes him appealing.

Barbie Doll

The poem "Barbie Doll" is written in a very feminist point of view. If I were to change this poem to be about how men are influenced in society, I would change the title to Ken. Ken is the male barbie doll, and makes sense to have it as Ken for a male version of the poem. I would use pictures of the Ken doll. I would use about the same diction that is used in the poem "Barbie Doll."

Symbolism in To His Coy Mistress

In the second line of To His Coy Mistress, Marvell writes, This coyness, lady, were no crime. Crime meaning something bad that shouldn’t be done. In line eleven he writes about his vegetable love which might symbolize the kind and quality of his love. In line twenty-two, Time’s winged chariot symbolizes death. Marvell writes about deserts of vast eternity in line twenty-four. This could symbolize Heaven or Hell. Heaven would obviously be more appealing but Hell would continue Marvell depressing visions of the future.

Barbie Doll

If I had to rewrite this poem, I would name it “Ken” because Ken was also part of the Barbie doll world. I would talk about the difficulties growing into a man but also the enjoyable side of being a male. Ken, like Barbie, portrays how men are “supposed” to look like according to society. Men are suppose to be strong, muscular (not an ounce of fat on them), good-looking and not show there sensitive side or feelings. They are also supposed to like doing outdoor activities, they are expected to get dirty and be the bread-winner for the family. This of course is not true. Not all men are muscular or strong and not all like hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, etc and certainly not all men are the main source of income in a household.
It’s sad how society has shaped men and women. People should be able to grow up without the hardships of high school and the real world but that’s how people overcome these hardships.

Barbie Doll

If this poem were rewritten for a young man, the title could be, Quarterback. Since there are social norms that put award a high level of importance for athletics, there could be imagery of lifting weights and training hard. The pressure to win would be strong. I might write the young man noticing during a game, the fan’s happiness when he scores or disgust when he fumbles the ball. I could present the image of the young man losing his virginity since there can be peer pressure on teens to have sex. When the boy was younger he might play war games outside.

Ozymandias

The first line in the poem says,” I met a traveler from an antique land.” This creates the imagery of someplace old. The traveler talks about the statue in the desert. It is described as ,” Two vast and trunkless legs of stone. This means they were big and of someone who was important. At least someone important enough to make a giant statue of them. The head is not attached to the body and it has a “ wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command”. This makes me think of arrogance. The beginning of the poem, for the most part, sets up the place and the statue, and the end it becomes clear with the inscription that the king thought he would always be important. Even a giant statue of a great king, can over time be broken and forgotten. I think the sand outlasts the king and his kingdom in the poem.

"Tone of To His Coy Mistress"

This poem has a very light tone to it. It is not like most of the other serious poems that we have read yet. I'm usually much more interested in serious or darker writing, but this poem is very interesting to me. It is pretty hard for me to understand. The first time I read through it, I could tell that it was a very cheerful poem. The speaker in the poem is very in love with a girl, "Nor would I love at a lower rate" (20). His joyfullness over his love for this woman really shows through. I can see how a man that is so in love would write a poem that is so happy throughout. The poem also has a very nice flow to it. When reading through, it is easy to read with the rhyming lines, "Had we but world enough and time; This coyness lady were no crime." (1-2). The way the poem flows and the rhythm that is used helps us to realize the very happy tone of this writing. Even though it is a difficult poem to understand, I think that the tone really shows through.

Barbie Doll

If I were to re-write this poem with a boy in mind I'd title it All Boy, a term we use so often to describe rough-and-tumble boys who play with trucks, legos, bugs, video games, and in mud puddles. This term isn't used for the boys who prefer to color, or to play house, or even to read; although these boys are also 'All Boy' considering that they certainly aren't part girl or part dog or anything simply because they enjoy less stereotypical activities. Also, many of the "boyish" activities are considered acceptable for a girl to play, but if a boy enjoys playing dress-up, they're marked as being somehow less boy?? It doesn't make sense and it can damage those boys.

Ozymandias (option A)

In the poem Ozymandias, a (presumably) Greek person has encountered the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. Ramses describes the things that he accomplished during his rule and many of the things that still exist. It does seem though, that Ramses is despairing over the things that haven't lasted so long, over the decayed remnants of his buildings that are seen over the miles and miles of sand. Ramses refers to two stone legs that apparently still stand, along with several half destroyed items.
The imagery in the poem suggests that Ramses is looking back on his rule and on his empire and seeing all the wonderful things he had done and built and the territory he conquered and is seeing that most of it has decayed.

Symbolism in Robert Browning, "Prophyria's Lover"

In Robert Browning, “Propyrira’s Lover”, the use of symbolism is spread throughout the poem with the most focus on the yellow hair, the storm, and the eyes.

Yellow hair is the most memorable symbol in the poem, and the deranged speaker refers to it repeatedly. Does he have a hair fetish? Why does he choke her with her own hair? Why not a pillow or his hands? He is really messed up.

Line 13: She untied her hat and let the damp hair fall. There is no accident that he uses the word “fall”. Fallen, back in the time period this poem was written, implied sin, so it is implying that by going alone to see him, she is ready to take the next step, by being alone with him.

Line 18: All her yellow hair displaced, this is the first time he refers to it as yellow. Yellow back then was associated with angelic purity and children.

Line 20: And spread, o’er all, her yellow hair. This is the second time, in three lines that he has talked about the yellow hair; he seems just a bit obsessed with it.

Line 38-41: The speaker takes all of Porphyria’s hair, wraps it three times around her throat, and strangles her. Is her “fall” from purity, symbolic of her sin, and why he decides to kill her?
Maybe or maybe not, there are many ways to look at Robert Browning and his interpretations.

The speaker of “Porphyria’s Lover” opens by describing the storm outside. It is like the weather has a mind of its own and it is speaking to him directly; and it sets the tone of the poem.

Line 2: The words “sullen” and “awake” personify the weather. The wind can’t feel “sullen”, and it wasn’t asleep before it picks up.

Line 3: Feeling “spite”, isn’t why the wind tears up the trees.

Line 4: Now it is the lake’s turn to be brought to life. You can’t really “vex” or irritate a body of water no matter how hard you try. Nature is at work here.

Line 7: Porphyria somehow has power to turn off the storm as soon as she comes in, as if she can have that type of power. It isn’t spoken, but heavily implied.

Even though there isn’t much talking in this poem, the eyes say a lot in “Porphyria’s Lover”, and here is what they are saying.

Line 31-32: Be sure I looked up at her eyes, and he saw at that moment how happy and proud she was of him, and that she worshipped him. Her eyes said it all to him.

Line 43-44: The speaker is clearly deranged now when he says, “As a shut bud that holds a bee, I warily oped her lids: again. He uses a bizarre simile. Is he afraid of getting stung by her eyes when he opens them again? There is also use of alliteration (the b sound in bud, and then in bee) that connects the words bud and bee.

Line 45: Laughed the blue eyes without stain. Eyes don’t laugh by themselves, and what type of stain was he expecting? I would expect the eyes to have become bloodshot, if strangled, or some sign of struggle. Is he saying that she is pure once more and Porphyria’s sin is now gone? Or he has no sin, since you can’t see any stain is visible on her eyes, so he is in the clear?

Kara Carpenter

Irony in "Porphyria's Lover"

"Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning has a lot of dramatic irony laced throughout the poem. Browning exerts a sense of passion and love in the beginning of the poem and turns it all around by the end. This poem is about a man that has his lover come to him. He feels very strongly about Porphyria and wishes she would love him in return instead of just being his lover. "Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me; surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew While I debated what to do." (lines 32-35) Here, this man has finally gotten what he wanted after all this time. But, the question is, does he really want her now?

When emotions are toyed with, people can easily snap and do some selfish and crazy acts of revenge. "That moment she was mine, mine, fair, Perfectly pure and good: I found A thing to do, and all her hair In one long yellow string I wound Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. No pain felt she; I am quite sure she felt no pain." (36-42) So, he did indeed snap. It seems as if he did love her but was sick of the way she treated him perhaps. He wanted to end it for good and that's exactly what he did.

There is a sense of guilt but major relief here too. "I propped her head up as before, Only, this time my shoulder bore Her head, which droops down upon it still: The smiling rosy little head, So glad it has its utmost will, That all it scorned at once is fled, And I, its love, am gained instead!" (49-55) He feels so much better now. Maybe because Porphyria told many lies and hurt him or lost his trust somehow. Whatever it may be, there is now a weight lifted from his shoulders.

This poem is very dramatic and has many twists throughout it. "And thus we sit together now, And all night long we have not stirred, And yet God has not said a word!" (58-60) Here the irony evolves with him holding her lifeless body and relating God to the situation. This man will be judged for his actions, but right now he doesn't care. He is with his former lover Porphyria in utter silence; this is the way he wanted it.

My Last Duchess, the tone of the Duke

My Last Duchess

In the poem,” My last Duchess”, by Robert Browning, the Duke comes across as an arrogant man. I can picture him in my mind, a man born and raised knowing he was a duke, and demanding respect and lording down his authority. Most would not dare say anything to him, but yes sir. He, with his 900 year old name felt an entitlement not only to his name, but he also commanded and expected his Duchess to be beautiful for all to see, yet loyal to only him. When he says,”She looked on, and her looks went everywhere” (page 703), you could infer that he felt betrayed by this. He wanted her all to himself, and for others to envy.

He is talking to a Count’s secretary; telling him what he is demanding in his future wife. The Duke wants her to be beautiful, but have eyes only for him, and to be very demure in her manner; no flirting or blushing for all to see. Basically he wants an ornament on his arm. His tone seems to say it all, without saying much of anything. A great example of this is when he says, “I gave commands, then all smiles stopped altogether.”(Page 703) When his Duchess didn’t live up to his expectations, he gave the orders to have her permanently silenced. His words are golden; he can afford to do whatever he pleases, so when his Duchess no longer pleased him with her unacceptable behavior he had her disposed of, just like she is an object that is easily discarded. At the end of the poem, he says, “Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed at starting, is my object.” (Page 704) The Duke has clearly not learned a thing; he still thinks his Duchess is an object, meant to be set upon a mantle for all to observe, and to do her duty, which is only to please him. (Page 704)

Robert Browning, does a good job in setting up the tone and summing up how Duke’s felt that the world was at their command and all should bow down to them.

Kara Carpenter

Theme in Shelley's "Ozymandias"

In Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” the author establishes the theme “nothing lasts” by using specific imagery, speaker’s voices, and by contrasting this fact with the idea that some things stand the test of time. Our unnamed speaker begins by recounting the story of a “traveler from and antique land” (line 1), in which the traveler tells of the ruins of an ancient statue that bears the resemblance of King Ramses II. Using the main speaker’s recollection of the traveler’s view of the sculpture sets the initial tone of the poem and creates the case for the authors theme on more than one level.

The traveler’s words have dual meaning when describing the statue, telling of the monument and the legacy of the leader which it represents; “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone” (2); “Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” (4-5). Shelley conveys a tone of greatness and power associated with the once mighty statue and the civilization and king for which it stood, yet at the same time shows how this prominent ode to power crumbled at the hands of time. The author once again reinforces this; “’My name is Ozymandias, king of kings / Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’ / Nothing besides remains” (10-12). Shelley uses situational irony to deliver his message that power, over time, fades as do the accomplishments associated with it even for the most powerful of men.

In contrast to this the poet asserts that some things do remain after the effects of time, and in doing so offers a view of the poet also. In line 5 the physical description of the statue is finished by the traveler, leading to a compliment of the sculptor, “Tell that its sculptor well those passions read / Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things” (6-7). This passage shows that even after its destruction the craftsmanship with which the monument was constructed is still apparent, and the skill of the artisan must have been great indeed to capture the emotion of a man so enraptured by power. Here the poet makes a point about all works of art; Shelley wants us to see beyond the greatness of the king for which the statue was erected, and appreciate the beauty of the thing itself, not what should be represented. His main contention being that when a craftsman’s heart and soul is poured into a work, its construction is a thing of beauty and will outlive “The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed” (8).

Barbie Doll

To flip the poem Barbie Doll to a man's persona, I would change the title to GI Joe. It essentially houses the same aspects of Barbie Doll, only in the social condition of the male sex. The GI Joe represents strength, dexterity, courage and smarts. Where the female is supposed to be thin, and beautiful with perfect bodily distribution and gorgeous hair, a GI Joe doll is handsome, tall, lean and muscular. To reflect other socially acceptable and expected aspects of males, I would use the diction of words like Varsity, Protector, and possible some phrases like "taking out the trash" and "bringing home the bacon." I enjoy looking at this from both angles, because while women do have a lot put on their shoulders with the gorgeous models and everything being about image, young and old men have the same thing going for them. Many young men are always hearing things like" You are a winner, NOT a loser." Not with the loving authoritative voice of a parent or friend though. It's just as hard for men to meet the expectations put upon that as it is for women.

Ozymandias'

The theme that nothing remains in the short poem, Ozymandias' is apparent throughout quite a few lines. In line 10, Ozymandias exclaims "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, Look on my woks, ye mighty, and despair!" It implies that Ozymandias thought that he was the ruler and that he would reign forever, but from the beginning to the end of the poem, all that he had has perished. Throughout the poem are words like sunk and decay and wreck which imply to me that Ozymandias has become but a mere thought, and that his work has perished with time. In the last two lines of the poem, "Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away." It paints a picture in my mind that everything that Ozymandias built, has become nothing but a wreckage in the sand. Nothing left of the ruler but a pile of rubble. The one thing to outlast his work were merely his words. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings!" but he had nothing left to show for it but a mass of decay.

"Barbie Doll"

This poem is obviously written to appeal to women. It describes very clearly the struggles that most young girls go through on their journey to become a woman. It would be a very different poem however, if it were written with young men in mind. "Barbie Doll" focuses on a girl struggle with how her physical appearance is. Many young men do not have issues with things like a "great big nose and fat legs" (6). For boys, it would be more about acheiving something having to do with athletics I think. Boys can feel so much pressure to excel at sports and be the best. They also may have some pressure to get girls and do tough "manly" things. I can imagine that boys would be very mean to other boys that don't live up to those standards. In high school, I remember that the boys who werent very good at getting girls would be teased endlessly. I think that if this poem was written about a boy, the diction should be just about the same. The formal style suits the seriousness of this poem well. I can see throwing a little informality in however, because thats how young men talk.

"My Last Duchess"

The speaker in "My Last Duchess" does not sound like a very nice man. It seems to me that he is much like many other men who thought they were important back in those days. There seems to be many stories of kings or dukes trying to take control of the people around them, like their wives, and then doing horrible things to them if they are not happy. Although the duke is not a very nice man, he may be a very smart man. He uses his words very well to tell his story while letting the listener think that he isn't bragging about anything. He pretends to be a very happy, good natured man but some of his true character is showing through.
The duke is telling this story to a man who is there trying to arrange a marriage for the duke. The duke may be trying to impress him with his words and the story. It also may be a sort of warning for his future wife. The duke believed that his wife was acting inapropriately. He did not want her to give any person the attention that he felt he deserved for "My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name" (33). He let the man know that he made the behavior stop using force "then all the smiles stopped together" (46). He was probably very proud of what he had done.

Barbie Doll

"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy is a poem that describes the troubles that almost all young girls face sometime throughout the years. In a society that is constantly judging woman about their weight, clothing, career, children and beauty, it's no wonder why so many girls grow up to have disorders and commit suicide. Now, flipping this around and looking at men from a social view, things are a bit different but a lot the same too. If this poem were to be based on boys growing up, I may call it "GI Joe" or "Transformers" to show the strength that boys gain over time. I would include the different obstacles that boys face in order to become young men. Boys have an obligation to impress girls, keep good grades, have nice clothes, have tons of friends, be a great athlete and all along look sharp while doing it. Boys aren't judged so much on their weight as girls but will unfortunately face sarcastic remarks from classmates if this is the case.

I had two friends that committed suicide while growing up, one female and one male. The crazy thing is, they were both over popularity and impressing the opposite sex. It's sad to see how cruel this world is on growing teenagers. But, in reality it's both females and males that have to overcome serious self esteem issues that are faced daily.

Ozymandias

"Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley portrays a theme that nothing lasts. Anyone would think that of all the items that can last, a statue should stand up strong to pretty much anything. But, on this decaying statue, there were words; "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair! Nothing besides remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away. (Shelley) Ozymandias thought that after a great king like himself died, this statue would live on forever in his memory. Little did he know, that over time even statues begin to decay and this once known landmark would soon be forgotten.

The thought and memories of people live on forever. Regardless of a statue or significant artifact, memories will always outlast everything around them. Let's just hope were all remembered for the good things we have done.

Ozymandias

Imagery reinforces this poem’s theme by creating a mental image in the reader’s head that there was a statue, built years ago, but as time moves forward, eventually, nothing is left standing. “I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone, Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command…Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare”. (Shelley) This quote gives the reader the image of what the statue was in its past glory, and what it looks like today. Using different speakers in the poem also adds irony to the poem. On the pedestal the words, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” (Shelley) The creator of the statue wanted to make people fear him as if he were a god. However, as what happens to all things on earth, Ozymandias died, along with his statue which was unable to stand the test of time. The only thing that is able to outlast this poem is time.

Barbie Doll

In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, a young girl begins her life like any other young girl would; loving to play with dolls, wanting put on makeup like mom, and playing with miniature ovens and stoves. Unfortunately, as she became older, peer pressure from classmates, friends, and sometimes even parents, began to shape her attitude toward herself. “She went to and fro apologizing. Everyone Saw a fat nose on thick legs…Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up.” (Piercy) We have all heard on the radio, seen on T.V. and read in the newspaper and in magazines, we have to look like this, talk like that, or act a certain way in order to fit into society. It really is no different for young men. We experience the same peer pressure and social norms that are displayed in “Barbie Doll”. We are shaped by the kinds of friends we surround ourselves with, and usually end up acting the same as our friends.
If I were to rewrite this essay, I would have to name it “Ken Doll”. I would name it this because the Ken Doll, like the Barbie Doll, epitomizes what a young man, by society’s standards, should look like. According to society, we should all have broad muscular shoulders, a six pack, wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and all around dashing good looks. Unfortunately, we aren’t all like that.

"Barbie Doll" Re-Write

If one were to pen a poem for men similar to “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, one could not use the standards of superficial beauty to measure the male experience. Therefore, you would have to pick a different paradigm to measure against; a Greek hero would be a more fitting archetype, one embodying heroism, strength, and standing, all of the things men should ideally represent. This poem would be called “Here Stands Hercules.”

For this to be true to form, the diction of the great Greek poets would have to be used. A scheme similar to Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad” would be more than appropriate as he is a character in the later. Formal diction would, of course, be used to convey the heroic yet ironic tone, contrasting how while a man might wish to be all of the ideals set forth by Hercules, the reality of strength is different than in tales.

The character of Hercules would be a perfect example of what men are expected to be, but should never strive to be. We all know of his parentage, a product of the union of the king of the Olympian gods, Zeus, and his human mother Alcmene. This would be one image to present an unobtainable male ideal; strength and power of a god balanced with the frailty and imperfection of humanity. Next would come the twelve labors and how they relate to the tasks set before men. Many times they take on these labors knowing that they are impossible and that there may be dire consequences should they fail. Then finally the madness of Hercules, where after defeating a great opponent and being a shining example of men, his reward is madness and to destroy the thing he loves most, his family. In true heroic fashion, instead of being exiled by his people, our hero goes into self exile because of his inability to forgive himself and to live up to his own principles, a theme many men can relate to.

Tone In Porphyria's Lover

The tone in Porphyria’s Lover is a dark, depressing tone. In the very first line one could tell that it was going to be a sad poem. “The rain set early in to-night,” ( Browning, Line 1), generally rain is setting a person up for sadness. As the poem goes on depressing tone does not improve until about 15 lines later and the tone changes to more of a loving or adoring tone as he describes her. Then after line 21 it is back to depressing and dark again, then in lines 31-35 it is a bright and happy tone as “Happy and proud; at last I knew” (Browning line 31) is said it gives the reader a light of brightness for a quick second before the poem goes back to its depressing tone. Then as the poem goes on a sense of possessiveness happens as he talks about how she is all his and then as he is talking about winding her hair around her neck. Overall this poem has a very dark depressing tone and in the end the reader can see why it is so depressing.
Jennifer Haverkamp

Theme in Porphyria's Lover

The theme in Porphyria’s Lover, by Robert Browning, is developed by an alluring name and beginning. There is a terrible storm going on outside, perhaps the reason the speaker seems distraught, like he is contemplating something. “I listened with heart fit to break. When glided in Porphyria; straight” (lines 5 & 6) The speaker was worried his lover would not care enough about him to come out in a storm to see him.
Once she is there he changes his attitude quick. “So, she was come through wind and rain” (line 30). Suddenly the speaker is very sure of himself. He now knows that she loves him. “Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me; surprise (lines 32 & 33) Now that he is convinced that he has her undivided affection, he doesn’t want it to end. It is too perfect in his eyes to stay this way, so he finds a way to keep her perfect for him. “In one long yellow string I wound Three times her little throat around, And strangled her. No pain felt she” (lines 39 – 41); The speaker has convinced himself that strangling her was the right thing to do and that he caused her no pain.
He also thinks that this is what Porphyria secretly wanted. This way they could always be together. “That all is scorned at once is fled, And I, its love am gained instead” (lines 54 & 55)! The speaker is happy that Porphyria is at his side and convinced that they will now share the perfect love.

Irony in "Porphyria's Lover"

In “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning, the poet utilizes irony to convey the theme of the poem. The speaker tells a story of love and passion, but really it is a story about the speaker unnoticeably murdering his lover. As the monologue progresses throughout, it becomes apparent to the reader that the speaker is a psychopathic killer. The speaker first believes that Porphyria is too weak to let go and love him, “Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavour, / To set its struggling passion free” (Browning 720). He then convinces himself that she finally does love him, “Happy and proud; at last I knew/ Porphyria worshipped me; surprise” (720). At this point it is clear that he is an obsessive man because, instead of enjoying the time he is spending with her he ponders what to do to her. The speaker wants to hold her perfection and love forever so he strangles her with her own hair. He assures the silent listener that he did it for a good cause and she felt no pain; “Three times her little throat around, / And strangled her. No pain felt she;” (720). He believes that by murdering her, he is able to make her happy and fulfill “Her darling one wish” (720). It is ironic how the speaker is able to stay calm in a straightforward manner while remaining unaware of his deranged actions. The title of this poem is sarcastic and ironic as well—“Porphyria’s Lover”. It is apparent that he is not her lover, she is his. The speaker has made Porphyria into his lover, forever.

Erika Knutson