Both “Ozymandias” and “London” showcase the devastating and horrific impacts of the totalitarian power on society and nature. In “London”, William Blake reveals the horridity caused by absolute power through his walk through Victorian society, where as in “Ozymandias”, Percy Bysshe Shelley illustrates the insecure and tragic future of absolute power from the ascension of Lord Wellington in the British government.

Both poems shows the horrific effects of absolute and tyrannical power on society. In “London”, Blake’s powerful notion of a metaphor “mind forg’d manacles” reveals to the 19th century reader the powerful extent of which authority has deepily ingrained class inequality and financial disparity within people and limiting them mentally and physically, unabling them to live to cheerful lives. In particular, the noun “manacles” implies restraints, suggesting to the Victorian reader, that residents of “London” are being restrained by their thoughts and rules that constricting them to tolerate such a sinister society, inviting the reader to feel anger towards such sources of power that limit them to live their lives. Blake through the description of London, warns the Victorian people, especially the Upper classes that if social change is not adopted, then a rebellion will be take place similar to the French Revolution in 1700s. Similarly in “Ozymandias”, Shelley reveals the brutality of power on the area as he states that “met a traveller from an antique land” suggesting to the reader that the unruly and unsympathetic behaviour of Ozymandias has caused the society to not improve and instead become isolated and deteriorated. In particular, the adjective “antique” implies aged, showcasing to the reader that land has become worthless due to suffering that occurred there, invoking sympathy from the reader towards the residents. Alternatively, adjective “antique” infers distant, and Shelley intends to use this land as representation of current situation in England, where Lord Wellington would become leader after defeating Napoleon and Shelley wishes to warn the reader that Britain will have a similar fate to the land of Ozymandias
In “London”, Blake showcases impotency of nature through the metaphor “Chartered Thames” implying to the reader that even nature and its properties are owned and are being corrupted by a singular authority. In particular, the adjective “chartered” implies ownership, further emphasising to 19th century reader the potency of totalitarian power as it’s controlling the “Thames” a river which is supposed to be free and flowing, invoking shock within the reader towards the state of London in this period and Blake intends to illuminate nature in this way to challenge the effects of urbanization and industrialization that are not contaminating and ruining nature through the pollution but also causing severe harm to humans that live in these cities. However in “Ozymandias”, Shelley exposes the all-pervading power of nature through the destruction of the statue “two trunkless and vast legs of stone” implying to the reader that tyrannical power is temporary and will be overcome by nature. In particular, the adjective “trunkless” infers decay, showing the reader that no power can contest against nature and that eventually nature will surpass and decay anything that is created by mankind, inviting relief within the reader as they know the effects of absolute power are not long-lasting and will eventually be surpassed by nature. Shelley being a Romantic poet, wishes to emphasise to the reader the beauty and omnipotence of nature that is undetestable.
On the one hand, Blake employs a colloquial tone “I wander through each chartered street” to expose the harsh realities of poverty and inequality to many people as possible as due to tyrannical power, a vast majority of Victorian society was uneducated and hence were not able to undertake an education and be able to read and write. Blake intentionally does this to reveal to the reader, the horrid consequences of absolute power where many people especially the lower classes were unable to have basic necessities and wants to criticise the institutions like the Church who instead of supporting those in need as stated in Bible, just simply ignored the brutal suffering. On the other hand, Shelley utilises a mocking and matter of fact tone “The hand that mocked them and the hand that fed them” to illustrate to the reader the illegitimacy of tyrannical power which will eventually be removed or destroyed. Shelley aims to emphasise to British society, the upcoming brutalities that can occur with the assumption of Lord Wellington as leader of the Britain which will make in to a isolated and terrific society.