Introduction
Even though the song “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay and the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley were written in different centuries, they feature similar topics. Among the details that both works share are the description of the ruler who lost his power, the opposition between the nation and the ruler, and the overall focus on the king who cannot restore his authority. It is possible to assume that in the poem and the song, the king is the person whose destiny is destroyed and isolated from others. It allows us to state that the discussed texts share a common theme, which serves as the basis for their comparison.
Ozymandias
Shelley uses metaphors to describe the downfall of the ruler and his subsequent isolation. The monument to the king is made of sand, and it eventually disintegrates. The image of the memorial from sand represents the temporary essence of power that has its end. As it is written in the poem, “Half sunk a shattered visage lies” (Shelley, 1977). This metaphoric description of the destruction also signifies the tragic destiny of the isolated king.
Viva la Vida
Coldplay’s song features metaphorical descriptions of the destruction and isolation of the ruler in a similar way. The king serves as the narrator in this work, and he acknowledges that his enemies wait for his weakness to exploit and seize power (Coldplay, 2008). He also understands that his power is based on the “pillars of sand,” which are unsteady (Coldplay, 2008). The imagery reinforces the theme of loss of control and further isolation of the ruler.
Conclusion
The image of a king who loses his authority and becomes an outcast is a typical one. It is the tragic story of a person who had everything he could imagine, but fate made him isolated and powerless. This assumption explains the common metaphors used by Coldplay and Shelley in their texts and how the protagonists in the discussed verses are depicted. These literary devices are united by the same topic of the king who lost his power and was isolated from the nation.
References
Coldplay. (2008). Viva la vida. Genius.
Shelley, P. (1977). Ozymandias. Poetry Foundation.