Compare the ways the poets have written about powerful forces in two poems.
The two poems "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley and "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge" by William Wordsworth illustrate the powerful forces of time and nature present throughout the poems. Within "Ozymandias", Shelley portrays that time is a very powerful force in the sense that it is the one thing that will destroy even the most powerful people. Wordsworth however, views nature as being a force filled with admiration and beauty. Through the use of imagery, commas and exclamation marks the poets display their very different, but similar, perspectives towards the powerful forces.
Both poems have used a wide range of imagery to highlight the poets' representations of the powerful forces, where nature is described as alluring while time brings out the more derelict imagery. Wordsworth's descriptions of nature are seen as unbelievable and almost impossible to describe where "Never did sun more beautifully steep" and "the river glideth at his own sweet will". These personifications illustrate how Wordsworth believes nature is a privilege and a blessing from god in which we appreciate its peace and tranquility. Shelley's use of imagery within "Ozymandias" paints a more negative and destructive picture towards the powerful force of time. The images "trunkless legs of stone" and "a shattered visage" describe the remains of the statue of the once powerful Ozymandias. It is time which has caused this dead and destructive imagery of the "decay of that colossal wreck" and this illustrates how Shelley does not see time as a beautiful force like in "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge" but rather one which we should be scared of. By using imagery, both poets portray their deep thoughts on the powerful forces present within their poems.
Even though both nature and time are very powerful forces, Wordsworth makes nature seem harmless and of no threat, while Shelley emphasizes times unavoidable...