Ozy

• Poem Ozymandias was written by Percey Shelley
• When was ozymandias written?

  • 1818
  • During the reign of King George III
• Ozymandias- Useful facts about King George III

  • Reigned longer than any other King before him
  • Involved in a large number of military conflicts around the world
• OZYMANDIAS- general facts about percey shelley

  1792-1822

  drowned at sea while sailing to Italy in 1822 (At 29 years old)

  Came from a wealthy family

  Was set to inherit the riches of his grandfather and his role of member of Parliament
• Ozymandias- Rebellious facts about Percy Shelley

  • Expelled from Oxford for writing in favour of Atheism.
  • He wrote a paper that argued against existence of God then delivered them to the Bishops which got him expelled.
  • At 16, he got married then left his Wife and ran off with Mary Shelley, the writer of frankenstein.
  • In 1816 his first wife committed suicide then 3 weeks later Percy married Mary shelley.
• Ozymandias meaning from the roots of the word:

  • Reference to Ramesses
  • 'Ozy' comes from the Greek 'Ozium' meaning to breathe
  • 'Mandias' comes from the Greek 'Mandate' meaning to rule
• Who is OZYMANDIAS?

  • Ramesses II
  • An Egyptian pharaoh who ruled from 1279-1213BC
  • Believed by many Scholars to be the pharaoh who was in charge of Egypt during the biblical exodus of Moses
• Ozymandias -Similarities between Ramesses II and King George II:

  • Both rulers
  • Both led many battles eg Ramesses led battles to protect Egypt and to extend the border. King George led military attacks to take new land
  • Deliberate use of Ramesses from history as he resembles King George II
• What kind of poet was shelley?

  Was a romantic poet which often wrote against religion and political control. They used rich language which was full of metaphors and classical allusion.
• In terms of form, what kind of poem is Ozymandias?

  A sonnet- a genre of love poetry

  Ozymandias is a mixture of the Petracharchan and the Shakespearan sonnet form and a random one.
• Where did the sonnet form come from?

  Italy in the 13th century.

  Giacomo da Lentini created this very strict and tight form of love poetry.
• Explain the structure of a Petrarchan Sonnet (to use when writing ab Ozymandias)

  • A love poem from a man to a women -14 lines
  • First 8 lines (octave) poses a problem
  • Last 6 lines (sestet) solves a problem
  • Line 9 (volta) is a sharp turn which brings about the move to the resolution
  • Abbaabba rhyme scheme.
• Petrarchan sonnet form- History Facts (for Ozymandius)

  • Sonnet form of poetry was most made famous by Petrarch (an Italian poet) in the 14th century.
  • The subject of Petrarch's 366 sonnets of unrequited love is Laura who rejected his proposals
• Shakespearan Sonnet

  16th Century

  14 lines: 3 quatrains and a couplet

  The volta comes in the couplet

  Iambic Pentameter

  A-b-a-b-c-d-c-d-e-f-e-f-g-g
• Why did Percy Shelley choose to write Ozymandius in a sonnet form?


  Just as petrarchs Sonnet form gives away to Shakespeares and in this poem Shakespeares poem gives away to a new form, all power ultimately gives way to new power. It is to show that not everything remains forever, not even the form of the sonnet

  The poet is using form and structure to reflect the theme of the poem,the fact that power is not eternal.
• Ozymandius SIMPLE quotes + analysis

  "I met a traveller" - detaching himself from the story told. Thinly veiled attack of the British monarchy

  "Sunk" - "shattered" - "frown" - "wrinkled"-"sneer". The plethora of deeply negative language is used to make it very clear that the poem is an attack and not a praising of the powerful.

  "Cold Command"- the alliteration repetition of the hard 'c' sounds reflect the harsh, aggressive nature of Ozymandias

  "Boundless and Bare" -Alliteration to emphasise the vast emptiness
• In depth analysis quotes - ozymandias

  "The Lone and Level Sands stretch far away" - The desert outlives the statue. Ramesses thought he was all powerful but nature has outlived him.

  "My name is Ozymandias King of Kings" - King of kings is the title given to Jesus in many books of the Bible. Ozymandias thinks of himself as God like. The desert setting reminds readers of the temptation of Jesus which took place in the dese
• Shelley: '"Round the decay of that colossal wreck"'
• Ozymandias analysis

  Shelley is using the sculptor as a metaphor/ symbol for himself. Poetry outlives the powerful. Percy shelley is more famous today than he was over 200 years ago whereas Ozymandias is just one of many rulers and King George III is just one in a long list of ancient Kings.
• Ozymandias in depth quotes :

  "wrinkled lip and sneer"- While the might and majesty of the King does not last. The Artist's skill in capturing the arrogant "sneer" is still visible. Although The statue is crumbled the artist still lives on
• '"The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed"'The verb "mocked" has double meanings. It can mean 'to mock up' as in to create and make but it can also mean the Artist was ridiculing Ozymandias. This sets the Artist above the pharaoh. The Artist is satirically attacking his subject