In reading
Oxymandias the line that drew my attention the most was “And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold
command, / Tell that its sculptor well those passions read.” This line argues
pretty clearly that artist’s vision transcends a basic knowledge and can judge
the character of a person better than average. It’s as if the sculptor knew
that there would one day be travelers looking upon the statue. Shelley seems to
be suggesting that an artistic lens is one that cuts to the truth of a person
and ultimately captures the reality of the subject in ways they might not even
be aware. A top a tall statue the sneer on Ozymandias’ face would seem foreboding
and powerful but when sitting on the ground it seems weak and depressed. Although not explicitly stated, it seems the sculptor considered the statues fate and portrayed the king to suggest the themes of crumbling power that are evident throughout the poem.
One thing I would like to discuss in class is what the
function of the frame narrative is. I’m having trouble pulling apart the
importance of the traveler in relation to the rest of the themes.
Excellent observation. I would add that Shelley tries less to discuss the artist as a social commentor cuts who to the issue in a person/people, rather the notion that the he observes the sublime in a broken piece of art. This focus serves to answer a question among Romantic poets on the nature of the Sublime, as well as the medium through which it could be perceived and enjoyed. As line 12 mentions "despair." Note that "look" precedes--key, since as was common among those proponents of the Sublime, observation, particularly via sight, was key to perceiving it as traditional Kantian followers believed. "Despair" is a placeword for the Sublime, and a deliberate play on words since to both us and Shelley's readers, the question hangs: can art fraught with despair contain the Sublime? Shelley's answer lies in his imperitive use of "look."
ReplyDeleteTo despair...is Shelley asking his readers to invite it? Yes, but not in the strict sense. My rough translation of Shelley's command is to look on broken art and invite despair, only if said broken art contains the Sublime. And since Sublimity can be "seen" through the mind-art of poetry, the despair mentioned in the sonnet is of value.
I agree with Sea Bass that the artist is glorified in Shelley's poem by ultimately creating the visage by which contemporaries can view history. But Shelley's poem also challenges the ways human's should perceive power, he reminds the reader that they should acknowledge it's mortality when compared to things like art. He chronicles how the ruler exists now as trope within the poem, but more importantly like a statue within a deserted gallery. I would say that the hand that mocks the ruler, by immortalizing it in art, gives art a sort of predestination to contextualize history.
ReplyDeletesee kebin's post below for the question of the frame narrative.
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