Comment on how poets respond to memories in two poems.
Ozymandias written by Percy Shelly and On Finding A Small Fly Crushed In A Book by Charles Tuner made strong references to the importance of memories. Shelly uses a 3 part structure to show different narrators to show a story being told from generation to generation. Yet Tuner uses the metaphor of a book to create the tone of a memory. Both poets use an arsenal of language techniques to convey their intentions, these techniques include metaphors, alliterations, and personifications. All well crafted to create an interesting read.
The structure within Ozymandias establishes the tone of a memory. The poem is in a single stanza sonnet form but through narrative, it is broken up into the 3 parts, each one focusing on a different aspect of memories. ‘I met’ ‘Who said’ My name is’ are the beginning lines of each section. The three sections resemble a story passed down in time, it establishes historical feeling to the story. The intention of the poet is to highlight the lasting effect of a memory. A memory is a strong thing and can be carried through generations long after death.
Similarly idea of a lasting memory is established in On Finding A Small Fly Crushed In A Book is in the metaphor of the book. The strong use of a book as a metaphor is deep, it symbolises the words and impressions passed down. A book is a collection of someone thoughts and emotions, and the fly ‘crushed in a book’ feels like a freeze frame of a moment in time. The poet is known for his religious affiliations, which explains the ‘pure relic’ he describes the crushed fly as. The memory of the fly is considered a relic because nature is considered innocent and pure. The poet is envious of the ‘gleaming’ ‘monument’ of the fly, because its memory is kept pure. The metaphor points out the poet’s response to memories as a long lasting effect, and the poet’s intention of educating the reader to think about what memories they leave behind....