Literary devices are intended to give the text various expressive qualities and originality, reveal the author’s attitude to what is written, and convey some hidden meanings. A detailed description of the sculpture of Ozymandias and word choice, including such imageries as “Two vast and trunkless legs,” “shattered visage,” and “wrinkled lip,” help readers visualize the state of a broken statue. In turn, the literary devices used in the poem “My Last Duchess,” help to create a specific atmosphere.
In “Ozymandias,” the story is told in not one but two voices. On the one hand, there is the speaker, but on the other hand, there is the traveler who describes the statue: “I met a traveler from an antique land / Who said” (Shelley). Thus, due to the use of two voices, the power of Ozymandias becomes insignificant since his omnipotence is reduced to a fleeting story with questionable accuracy.
In the poem “My Last Duchess,” Browning sets the atmosphere using particular literary devices, one of which is imagery. This concept expresses a vivid picture of the duchess and her portrait and the darkness of the duke’s life. Unlike Ozymandias, Duke of Ferrera is the only speaker through whose description both his sinister nature and the duchess’ image can be understood. The poem has a mysterious mood, which is enhanced by the precise word choice: “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, / Look as if she were alive” (Browning). Therefore, the imagery and particular word choice reinforce the mysterious atmosphere of the verse.
Browning’s use of situational and verbal irony gives particular depth to the poem. According to Athanasiadou and Colston (2017), verbal irony is when what is said does not necessarily coincide with what is meant, and situational irony is when things seem to be one, but in fact, are something else. Thus, the duke, ostensibly admiring the portrait of his wife: “I call that piece a wonder,” in fact does not feel the slightest awe either for the picture or for his wife. In turn, saying: “I choose never to stop,” and declaring that he would never have told these complaints to his wife, goes even lower than if he did. Thus, due to the use of various literary devices, these poems are incredibly deep and profound.
Works Cited
Athanasiadou, Angeliki, and Herbert L. Colston. Irony in Language Use and Communication. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2017.
Shelley, Percy Bysshe. Ozymandias. Poetry Foundation. Web.
Browning, Robert. My Last Duchess. Poetry Foundation. Web.