Comparing A Modest Proposal And Ozymandias

Words Aren’t Always True: The Use of Literary Technique to Understand Social and Political Commentary in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and P.B. Shelley’s Ozymandias Both Authors of these two works of literature use contradicting, but also similar literary techniques to add to their stories and paint a different picture in which not all readers may realize. Jonathan Swift’s use of literary techniques in A Modest Proposal caused an uproar in Ireland in terms of political and social commentary. He used such literary techniques as satire and irony that were essential to the success of the story. These literary devices were tough to catch for the typical Irish citizen so this created confusion with Swift’s opinion on the problems in Ireland.
He wrote about how the British are controlling every aspect of their lives with no moral obligation. Swift uses the literary devices to help “stir the pot” for those who end up reading the critique. He uses the idea of satire to almost make fun of the poverty that was going on in Ireland. He makes a statement regarding children that is quite outrageous and disgusting. He talks about an american friend that told him a child is “most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food”. (Swift) He continues to speak about how you can beef them up to make them bigger and more nutritious before you kill them and eat them. “and in a solar year if tolerably nursed increaseth to twenty-eight pounds” (Swift). He recommends this to anyone who is struggling for money and needs to do something about it. “I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children” (Swift). This statement is satirical but even more controversial. It was not typical for something satirical of this nature to be out there at this time and this created quite a reaction, which most authors love. We can compare how Swift looks at the poor to how we look at the poor and hey contradict each other. He looks down at them, cracks jokes at them, speaks poorly of the poor while most of the
Shelley that speaks about the morality of an empire and how everything will eventually be gone and people will forget about it in a time far away. An interesting use of the title by Shelley helps relate to the idea of people forgetting about someone/something. Ozymandias was the “king of kings” (Cioffi) at his time and was an iconic pharaoh that everyone would have known back in their time. Today, he is pretty obscure in common history unless you truly love history or if you are taking a class in it. This shows how even the most iconic people of a time will eventually be forgotten and considered nothing by the common population. In the sonnet, Shelley uses many different voices in terms of who is talking in this short poem. There is a speaker, traveller and the recorded words of Ozymandias “And on the pedestal these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!”.(Shelley) This quote shows how this is well past Ozymandias’s time and they are looking at his work engraved on a pedestal. An interesting aspect in the poem is how civilizations and governments eventually falter and fall apart. This creates an idea of how art and politics cooperate. This poem looks at short-lived tyrants and long-lived empires that eventually fell apart. I feel like those who made art or appreciated art encourage change in politics when those who do not enjoy it, hate the idea of change in a government. Artists