"Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,"
Ozymandias: Having "survive" and "lifeless" on the same line hints that art can outlast human power, but the ruined statue shows that ultimately art cannot immortalise power.
Ozymandias: Irony- he tells other rulers to "despair" because of the size and graneur of his "works", but in fact they should despair because their power is temporary and unimportant like his.
London: Seems to be angry at all forms of power- describing the church as "black'ning" could suggest that it is corrupt or tarnished by its failure to look after people it's also a grim visual image of the ugliness caused by the industrial revolution.
London: Might be a reference to the French Revolution- sounds like he thinks ordinary people suffer while those in the Palace are protected behind walls.
London: Powerful language of illness and disease. Destruction is implied by "blights" and "plagues" hint at something that's uncontrollable and destined to affect a lot of people.
The prelude: The narrator knows he's doing something wrong- this is the first sign that something isn't quite right. Oxymoron hints at the narrators guilt.
"Notice Neptune, though, taming a seahorse, thought a rarity."
My last duchess: He returns to the subject of his art collection, which emphasises his power and wealth. The story of his last Duchess is a subtle warning to his visitor about how he expects his next wife to behave.
The charge of the light brigade: There is a line in the Bible that says "I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ". Using biblical references makes the poem seem solemn and significant.
"Sabring the gunners there, charging an army, while all the world wonder'd:"
The charge of the light brigade: Double meaning - could mean that people marvelled at their bravery or that they wondered why they had been sent on the charge. This poem was written in 1854 in response to a newspaper article about the battle. The poem focuses on the bravery of the soldiers rather than the mistakes of military leaders.
"shutters and doors, all closed: on us the doors are closed, -"
Exposure: The caesura in this stanza creates a division on each line, which reflects how the men are shut out of their homes. This also reflects the soldiers concern that people back home were losing interest in their fate as the war dragged on.
Exposure: Metaphor refers to the eyes of the living and the dead men - it's a vivid description of how they've been overpowered by nature. It hints that the living men are no longer able to feel any emotion.
Storm on the island: The storm is invisible - there is nothing solid there. This contrasts with the solid rock mentioned in the second line of the poem.
"in what cold clockwork of the stars and the nations"
Bayonet charge: Emphasises the soldiers' insignificance and his lack of control of his situation. "Cold" implies that the people in charge of the war don't care about the individual soldiers.
Bayonet charge: A distressing image of out-of-control movement. "Threshing circle" is an agricultural term,used to suggest that nature is affected by war.
Remains: The violent parts of the compound adjectives , "stunned" and "smothered" show how the place is affected by war. The long line and the sibilance slow the pace and reflect the speakers lack of clear thought.
Remains: There could be a double meaning to "bloody" - he's talking about the mans blood, but also swearing in anger. Possible reference to Macbeth- after persuading her husband to kill king Duncan, Lady Macbeth sleepwalks and tries to wash imaginary blood from her hands. This allusion hints that the speaker has been unbalanced by his guilt, as lady Macbeth was.
Poppies: The sons excitement contrasts with his mother's sadness. However, "intoxicated" also hints at a lack of control of his life by joining the army.