http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/672/
This is a simplified approach to analyzing any poem that you might encounter in a typical AP English Lit exam. You are going to FIT the pieces of the poem together to try and make sense of it quickly so you can complete the writing or questions that accompany it.
F is for FACTS Read the lines. Gather as much indisputable information about the poem as possible. Who is the author? What is the form? Is there a rhyme scheme? If so, what is it? Who is the speaker? What is the action? What are the images of the poem? Wen establishing facts, find as many as possible, even those that seem obvious.
I is for INTERPRETATION Read between the lines. Once the facts have been established (e.g. it's an elegy in rhyming couplets, the speaker is a young girl whose father has just died, it takes place in a graveyard, it was written in 1714), you should begin to ask certain questions about the poem that will lead you from mere observation to more sophisticated reading moves such as inference. Is the speaker serious or ironic? What seems to be the overall tone? How is this tone achieved? Does the rhyme scheme contribute anything to mood? In this way, interpretation build off of solid observation to produce more sure footed analysis than you might sometimes produce when attempting to read poems.
T is for THEME Read beyond the text. After you have used basic observations to make reasonable interpretations about a poem, they can pose the ultimate question that will render an insightful reading. Why, after all would someone bother to write a poem on a specific topic or use an image to capture an emotion? Why would readers value the ideas and artistry of the lines in a particular work? Does it contain themes relevant today even though it was penned two centuries ago? How can we know?
Read this poem using the FIT approach. Answer the following questions:
How does form embody meaning in this poem? Does the sonnet form reinforce Shelley's ideas? Interpret the poem with insight.
Hey, guys! Happy Easter! :)
ReplyDeleteOk...
DeleteDoes this count as a comment?
DeleteHey Happy Easter to you too buddy!
ReplyDeleteOhhh....
DeleteAlright,
ReplyDeleteThe FIT system can be applied to this poem very easily.
FACTS-
The author of the poem was Percy Bysshe Shelley. She was a romantic poet in England. She was well known for her poems on political and social views. She was most popular for her works once she died. There is not a clear rhyming scheme that is noticeable in the poem, but there are some clues. The last word in lines; 1,3, and 5 all rhyme with one another. This trend ends in line 7. Also the final line and the third to last line also rhyme. The poem's speaker is the author of the poem, Shelly herself. She is telling a story that she remembers. An image that was noticeable in the poem was when the author said, "Stand in the desert." This clearly allows the reader to know what was going on in the poem.
INTERPRETATION -
I feel that the author is serious in her tone. I don't think that she is making up what she is saying, or trying to symbolize anything. I think this because she says that she remembers when this happened. If she was just referring to something that happened in a dream or something that she made up she would not have said that she remembered. The overall tone of the poem is a sad and dreary tone. She is not happy, nor excited. This tone is a direct result of word choice such as despair, lone, and desert. The rhyme scheme does not seem to have any effect on the overall tone of the passage.
THEME-
The question of why would someone write this poem seems easy to answer. The author had something on her mind. She obviously was reminded of a past event that had happened to her, and she wanted to tell people about it. She knew that she was apt in writing poetry, so she expressed herself through writing the poem.
The "form" of this poem definitely has an impact on its meaning. Through the FIT method this becomes even more apparent. The author uses the form of the poem to express her opinions, and the reader is able to see this by reading through the FIT lens.
Luke,
DeleteYou had a good blog and I swear that I didn't copy and paste from your blog. Your paragraph on tone is exactly what I was thinking too, that is, the interpretation paragraph. And the author did has something on HIS mind as you stated in the theme paragraph. Nice blog.
Kraus,
DeleteI think that you did a really nice job. I agree that the tone of the poem is rather serious. It seems that Shelley had something that he really needed to get off of his chest. I think that you are absolutely right. Bobby is also right, however, in saying that Shelley is indeed a man. Nice job though!
Okay, I'm going to try and do this as if it was the AP Exam. So, ya know I could easily be wrong. Bear with me.
ReplyDeleteF is for facts!
So this is a sonnet and we're in a desert. The poem is written from a first person point of view, however, the narrator is recollecting a scene. We know nothing of the narrator. Perhaps it's merely meant to be herself, Percey Shelley, the author of the piece. We're talking about some smug looking thing in the desert. Sounds like it's stone and very big. Oh! The first line also says "I met a traveller from an antique land." Antique lands make me thing of Rome, or Greece, or Mesopotamia or any of those fun places. In this case I think the piece is talking about Egypt, the most "desert-y" land I can think of with a smug looking colossal monument. The sphinx?
I is for interpretation!
Sphinx could be totally wrong but let's roll with it. People travel from all over the world to see this ancient structure. It is a little creepy though. As the poet describes it as having a "wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command." The sphinx is generally looked upon as being a wonder of the world, a great manifestation of the skillful ways of ancient human civilizations. However, Shelley recounts the travelers words in a way that casts the sphinx in a lonely light, wearing a devious and solemn face. Now, the structure of the poem is sort of odd, which makes me feel like it's being used ironically. Oh that crazy Shelley. Sonnets are generally used for romance, am I not mistaken? Even that one on the AP test was not about romantic love but love as friends. But the tone of this piece says nothing about being in love with the subject. It focuses more on the emotions and passions of the artists who crafted such a face, given that the intent was for the "King of Kings!"
T is for theme!
Goodness this is rough.
Okay, the big "why do we care?" Well, it seems that the artist made the sphinx so solemn as a way to reject the ideals of the King for whom it was being built. It's current state of ruin and loneliness either illustrates the downfall of the king, and therefore, of those ancient people, or mourning the lack of action against or current state of the "King of Kings" (aka the current government, rich, ect). The sonnet is used almost satirically, either expressing a disdain rather then love for the people of power or expressing love for the artist to whom the common man can relate in his sadness towards these powerful, corrupt people.
That feels rough and out there but I'm calling it a night.
Danielle,
DeleteFirst off I hope you had a good night. Why this is necessary to write in a blog response or why I am even writing this is beyond my train of thought and my grasp. But anyways nice blog. I liked how you took the sphinx idea the whole way through. I also liked your global paragraph and how you compared it to wealth. And he last line about how the common man can relate in his sadness towards the corrupt people is definitely relatable in our society today. Nice blog!
Ok I refuse to do this on Easter so were going to getr done before that.
ReplyDeleteF-
The author of the poem is Percy Shelly who wrote this poem based on a childhood experience that he had in the past. He probably thought that writing this poem would be fascinating because he grew up in Staffordshire England and this traveling experience really did him some good. It is like one of those trips you will remember for the rest of your life. But anyways the first lines "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert." Really give the reader an image of what is going on. It is a conversation with a traveler who is describing a scene to him, possibly of the ruins of a structure that he found in the middle of the desert. There is other imagery in there along with some rhyming, and other than that there is a lot of literary devices that can be found.
I-
Even though some imagery has some effect on the tone on the passage, the rhyming makes me question whether it was needed or not. I don't think the rhyming aspect of the poem has any effect on the tone. But anyways the imagery suggest the tone of the passage is nostalgic. The narrator doesn't necessary miss his home but rather something about this place that changed his perspective on life. The poet uses such words as sunk shattered and frown to convey his tone of the passage. All of these words are only in one line, so there is an abundance of tone words throughout the passage.
The imagery also has an effect on the interpretation. Words such as pedestal, King of Kings, antique, vintage, and sculpture suggest that the scene of the passage is in a desert long ago, which might suggest that the author might have had a dream or was fascinated by what he found in a museum or even Googled in that matter.
T-
Theme. Ahh the global aspect of the prompt. So anyways the global is that this guy wrote this poem based on past experiences. It could have been a dream or a Google experience, but he would not have written it out of the blue one day. He clearly put a lot of thought into this poem with the imagery and the word choice and all, so there is clearly an effort that he put forth. The poem is about building a simple statue for a wealthy powerful king. So I guess this poem is about finding the simple things in life to be just as satisfying if not more satisfying than the illustrious stuff. It is nice to sit in silence to reflect on life a little bit. So maybe this poem was about the little things we can find in life, to get away from everyone and just be thankful for life. Maybe that is the whole reason why he wrote it.
Matt Bobby,
DeleteSo I really liked your global application of the poem. It is so important to focus more on the simple things in life. I think that I love your interpretation so much because of how different mine is from yours. I said that we should transcend the thought of power or we will be left alone when we need someone to help us. I just really liked your take on this sonnet. Nice job!!
Matt,
DeleteI love reading your blogs cause they are always so funny!! Haha anyways I also love your interpretation. I think that it is a very good lesson to learn, because I know that I am not as grateful as I should be for the simple things in life. I think that you did a great job and Happy Easter!
Matt Bobby,
DeleteNice job! I think that you applied the FIT method well to this poem. I think that your interpretation was similar to mine. I also liked how you thought that there was a part that made us be thankful for the simple things in life. Have a good Easter!
Here we go, kids.
ReplyDeleteF-
This poem was written by Percy Shelley. It was also told in the point of view from the first person. There are several images in this poem as well. They are two vast and trunkless legs of stone, a shattered visage lies, and the wrinkled lip. They all describe a statue. The setting is also the desert. There was a subtle rhyming scheme spread throughout the poem. The major rhymes seem to occur on the odd numbered lines with a minor rhymes on the even numbered lines.
I-
The overall tone of the poem would be serious in my opinion. It seems to me that Shelley is reflecting on something that he learned the hard way when he was in his younger days. The rhyming lines of this poem are very important to the poem itself. The rhyming lines of the poem seem to reflect what that statue alone in the desert mean to Shelley. These reflective rhyming lines help to enhance the seriousness of this poem as a whole. This poem seems to be a lesson to the reader.
T-
So I took this poem to be about power. I discovered that Ozymandias is another name for Ramses the Great. He was one of the greatest pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. This statue of him, however, is now crumbling away. The head that once seemed so commanding now lies in the desert sand useless. I think that Shelley is trying to say that having power isn’t everything. I think he is saying that power only lasts for so long, but if we abuse it we will be like the statue in the desert. We will be left to fade away completely alone. There will be no one around to help us if we take our power too far. I also feel that he doesn’t just mean power in the literal sense. I think that Shelley means anyone who puts themselves on a plane above anyone else. Even poor people can find ways to exert power over others. Shelley is telling us, however, to transcend that or risk being alone when we need someone the most.
My interpretation could be completely wrong, but I am sticking to it.
Megan,
DeleteI agree that the tone of the poem is serious. I especially love your theme. I think that your interpretation of the poem is really good. I can really see how the poem could be about power and now that the power didn't last the statue is crumbling away alone in the desert. I think that you did an excellent job! Happy Easter!
Megan,
DeleteI also thought that this was a literal poem, and not a figurative one. I thought that your interpretation of the poem was very good. I think that you did a good job explaining what you saw. Nice job!
Megan McKenna,
DeleteWow! That is a deep interpretation! I like it. I really like how you mentioned the rhyming scheme and how it contributed to the meaning of the sonnet. I appreciate rhymes. I also looked up some stuff about the poem, even though I know I could not do this in the real AP test. Haha! And I discovered the same. Good analyzing! Happy Easter! :)
Alrighty, this will be fun.
ReplyDeleteF-
The author is Percy Shelley and is written in first person point of view. This suggests that Shelley himself is the subject of the poem. The images in the poem are “two vast and trunkless legs of stone”. This is describing a statue in the desert which is described “antique land”, “sand” and “sculptor” in the poem. The statue seems to be very old as it is “half sunk”. The speaker also seems to be reflecting on a past experience, which suggests that Shelley had probably traveled to the desert and it has made an impression on him even to the day when he is wrote the poem.
I-
I myself do not believe that the tone of the poem is ironic. Rather I think that Shelley has a more reflecting tone with a sense of wonder but somber as well. The statue being described is obviously magnificent but time seems to be placing a heavy toll on the stone. It is beginning to sink in the sand. Also Shelley uses the phrase, “Round the decay”, this is why Shelley is somber because even such a magnificent thing as a statue is not beautiful forever. Everything eventually wears down or dies, it is just the course of life. The statue is also alone in the desert which is significant because as one get older, they start to lose those around due to death. At this point in his life Shelley may realize that he is getting older and it trying to some to terms with the natural course of life.
T-
The overall theme of the poem is that nothing lasts forever. Nothing can really stand the test of time, eventually buildings will crumble, even the sturdiest and carefully carved statues will eventually decay and sink into the desert sand. Since the statue is depicted after a wealthy King it only proves that wealth and power come to an end just like everything else does. Also the King’s statue is all alone left to crumble by itself which may suggest that too much power will lead to a solitary life.
So, that’s what I got form the poem and it is all probably completely wrong, but oh well.
Michaela,
DeleteNice blog! I like the way you interpreted it. I like how you took a turn from what many other people said and made the direct comment that it was not ironic, but reflective. Again, the amount of different interpretations for one poem is kind of insane. Your theme was very good. Very universal and you made an extremely good argument for it. I think I might like your significantly better then mine. That poem was so sketchy.
Hope you have a great Easter!
Michaela Cashmer,
DeleteYour interpretation of the poem is very interesting! I like your cute spin on it, and how you relate the facts and the interpretation to the theme of the sonnet. Good work! I think that is what Mrs. Messineo really wanted us to get at this blog, and I think you definitely managed to do that. Just take this to the poem part on the AP test, and your golden! Happy Easter! :)
Facts:
ReplyDeleteThe author is Percy Bysshe Shelley (Mary Shelley's hubby). This poem is a sonnet because it is composed of fourteen lines and possesses two different rhyme scheme. There is a rhyme scheme. It is an end rhyme that is every other line and switches halfway through the poem. This poem is written in first person point of view, and the speaker is someone who spoke to a "traveller from an antique land". The action is describing som important statue that washed up on to a beach called "Ozymandias". The imagery is rich in this poem as it provides a detailed description of the statue with "winkled lips" and a "cold sneer".
Interpretation:
The author is ironic because the sonnet describes a statue of "Ozymandias, king of kings" who is wrecked and destroyed on a seashore, whose only subjects are "decay" and "sand". The overall tone seems to be solemn because it is drearily describing the wreckage of a once noble statue. The tone is achieved by the diction of negative words such as "decay", "frown", "cold", and "lifeless". Yes, the first rhyme scheme reveals that something is washed up on shore, and the second rhyme scheme uncovers that the wreckage is of a great magnitude.
Theme:
The point of Shelley's sonnet is truly capture by the imagery incorporated in the poem. One of the most powerful lines, in my opinion, of the entire poem is line 11 that says, "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" These are the words that are printed on the mighty statue. The irony of the poem is that this is a magnificent statue of obvious royalty, but it has no worth because it is washed up and abandoned on a seashore where it is not so mighty. Perhaps this is Shelley's way of alluding to how other kings and people of royalty think they are so far above their subjects, when really, they could have as much worth as the washed up statue. Readers can relate to this sonnet even today with high political leaders who see themselves above other.
Rachel,
DeleteHappy Easter!
It is truly astounding how different everyone's interpretations are, but they all make sense when given a convincing enough argument to back them up. Yours certainly was. I really though you did extremely well in the Facts section. You gave a very detailed analysis of the structure of the sonnet and even applied that structure to the meaning of the poem. Very nice job.