ozymandias

• The consonance also suggests the use of military aims, shelley was very anti-violence and a pacifist, the hard 'c' sound shows his hatred for violence (Ramesses ll was very known for his military impact which shelley was very maddened about)
• "Boundless and bare" - the two words used here suggest that the king once had unlimited power but now nothing remains except emptiness
• Ramesses ll was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC
• King George lll reigned during when the poem was written. He engaged in many military conflict and was remembered for his oppression and tyranny. As shelley was a radical pacifist and positioned himself against Georges' military exploits (some say this gave inspiration towards the poem)
• "cold command"-this is reflective of shelleys own anti-violence and was against all military action. This quote initiates that shelley is against war. The repetition of the harsh 'c' sound helps reflect the lack of compassion the king had for his subjects. The sound bleeds into the readers perception of the king , helping to portray him as aggressive.
• "wrinkled lip"- portrays the image of someone grimacing in disgust. This displays the disregard for his subjects, viewing them as inferior and below him. This antipathy is the paired with the immense power which enables him to torture his subjects with no empathy. Shelley uses this to show the danger of a single individual holding unlimited power invested in them.
• "antique land"- Egypt
• "far away"- the statue is seen far away where it stands .It is unrecognised that only travellers know it exists. Ozymandias tried so hard to be remembered for his great power but his pursuits condemned to failure , when the insignificance of Egypt allows it to be seen far away.
• the poem is written in first person perspective however the speaker is nor named, nor assigned. Th pronoun "I" only appears in the poem at the start which shows how little perspective matters. This may purposely disconnect the speaker from shelley to get her political views out
• the poem is a sonnet, with a turning point called a volta at line 9 like a petrarchan sonnet however it doesn't follow the usual rhyme scheme perhaps reflecting the way human power and structure can be destroyed
• "lone and level"-shelley uses alliteration to demonstrate the vast desert and to juxtapose the limited power of man. The statue can be represented as human power ,as you are alone with your power. It shows power can outline all forms of justice.
• the emptiness of the dessert is symbolic to how his reign was pointless
• Ozymandias had orders to "look on my works" although they no longer exist as he was forgotten about with time
• In the poem shelley uses sand to show how time can erase power of man. The sand has literally covered over Ozymandias's statue proving that time is stronger than power.
• the narrator builds up an image of the statue by focusing on different parts of it in turn. The poem ends by describing the enormous dessert, which helps sum up the insignificance of the statue