The poems “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley and “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning are very different. However, they have something in common: both poems are representations of their power. “Ozymandias” represents power as the poem shows that human life is insignificant compared to the passage of time, even for selfish kings like Ozymandias, time is very powerful. “My Last Duchess” represents power through narrative technique, which makes it seem like the Duke is speaking directly to the audience, powerful as it captures the reader. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" is about a ruined statue of a powerful ruler who once controlled an ancient kingdom. Browning describes that Ozymandias was a very harsh ruler - this is shown by the quote, "His sneer of cold command", his "sneer" shows that Ozymandias somewhat abused his power because he was a cruel leader; this leads the reader to think that King Ozymandias was most likely a dictator in his ancient kingdom. "Cold command" is an example of harsh alliteration, the strong repetition of the letter 'c' at the beginning of both words once again gives a representation of power, "command" also represents the dictatorship of the kingdom of the pharaohs and the use of the word The “cold” can show that by being a dictator and abusing power this can reveal that Pharaoh may have been alone. Shelley also uses alliteration when he mentions the “endless and bare” desert, emphasizing the emptiness of the desert, which has survived much longer than the now lifeless statue. "Coffins" and Ozymandias have nothing left after his death because his statue collapsed. Which may represent whatever influence he had has collapsed. The iambic pentameter rhythm also represents a heartbeat, perhaps ironic since his life is already over at this point. In contrast, “My Last Duchess” is about a Duke of Ferrara who is also very powerful. We see this in the fact that he refers to his last name as “a nine-hundred-year-old name.” This shows that his family lineage has been important for many hundreds of years. This also suggests to the reader that his name would have been known throughout Italy, predominantly in Ferrara because his surname is still significant nine hundred years later. The Duke seems to be extremely proud of his name to even know that his name has been that of power for all these centuries. Ozymandias is written in iambic pentameter and contains an enjambement. This iambic pentameter accompanied by enjambement is the closest thing to telling a story in poetry. Almost telling a story, the poem offers us an insight into the life of the Egyptian king thanks to the fact that there are no stanzas; it is only an account of the life of Pharaoh. Enjambment is introduced when Shelley writes, “there is nothing else left. Around the decay of that colossal wreck”, this shows that after the rule of Ozymandias and all the achievements he achieved, time was even more powerful than the king and everything has gone and is decaying. It is a form of irony because even a powerful king cannot control the harmful effects of time. Browning's poem, "My Last Duchess," is also written in iambic pentameter. This shows that the poem is also almost a story about the Duke's life and problems with his Duchess. The poem is a dramatic monologue, the speaker is clearly distinct from the poet and this gives the reader the impression that this was not written by a poet, but rather a direct transcription of the duke's own speech. This creates the feeling that the audience is present,.