ozymandias

• "boundless and bare" - the desert is vast, empty
• "a shattered visage lies" - the face on the statue is broken
• "my name is Ozymandias, king of kings" - arrogant boastful statement about his power
• "nothing beside remains" - nothing else exists except this statue
• "nothing beside remains" - nothing else exists except the ruins of his empire
• "the hand that mocked them" - Ozymandias' statue has been destroyed by time
• "the hand that mocked them and the heart that fed" - ironic because now it's just a statue
• "the hand that mocked them and the heart that fed" - ironic because now it's all gone
• "look on my works ye mighty and despair!" - he wants people to be intimidated by him
• "round the decay / Of that colossal wreck" - the statue has fallen apart over time
• "boundless and bare" - vast desert with no life or vegetation
• "boundless and bare the lone and level sands stretch far away" - desolate landscape with no life or hope
• The poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley concerns the discovery of a semi-destroyed and decaying statue of Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias, illustrating how power deteriorates and will not last forever
• The poem reports on a stranger's account of a statue in a desert, falling apart and decaying, portraying the cruelty of the king through the sculptor's work, with the king's pedestal claiming he was "king of kings" - showcasing his arrogance
• Percy Shelley, a radical romantic poet, was inspired by the French Revolution and aimed to end the oppression of ordinary people, focusing on the subjective and emotional, contrasting with enlightenment values
• The poem references Ramesses II, an Egyptian pharaoh, and King George III, with historical influences shaping the themes of power and conflict explored in "Ozymandias"
• The image of a shattered visage in the desert creates irony, reflecting the king's arrogance and cruelty, as well as the power of art and words in preserving memory, ultimately conveying the message that power will not last forever
• The poem "Ozymandias" explores the theme of power and its transience through the depiction of a fallen statue of a once-mighty king
• The title "Ozymandias" refers to the king in the poem, who is portrayed as arrogant and power-hungry
• The poem is written from the first person perspective, but the speaker remains unidentified, allowing for a detached narrative
• The opening line "I met a traveller from an antique land" introduces the perspective of a traveller, distancing the poet from direct political messages
• The irregular rhyme scheme in "Ozymandias" contrasts with the single stanza, symbolizing the lack of power and control of the ruler
• The poem blends Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnet structures to highlight the transient nature of power, even in literary conventions
• Shelley uses alliteration to emphasize the vast, unending power of nature and to belittle the limited power of man represented by the broken statue of Ozymandias
• Consonance in the poem reflects the callous lack of compassion of the king and portrays his aggressive and oppressive rule
• Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" is an allegory where Ozymandias represents King George III and all figures of power, creating an overwhelming sense of irony surrounding the fall of the King’s influence
• The shattered visage in the poem symbolizes the irony of a King who believed strongly in his power and superiority, yet his statue has been forgotten and destroyed by time, revealing the vulnerability of his authority
• The desert setting in "Ozymandias" symbolizes the legacy of Ozymandias being stripped away, showing how his reign was pointless and insignificant as he has been forgotten by history, dwarfed by greater forces of nature and time
• Sand in the poem symbolizes time erasing the power of man, covering Ozymandias’ statue, illustrating that nature will always prevail and everything comes from the earth and returns to it
• Shelley criticizes power in "Ozymandias" with a negative semantic field surrounding themes of power and pride, aiming to make the reader more receptive to ideas about the corruption of power when paired with a negative tone
• The speaker in "Ozymandias" criticizes Ozymandias and his power, suggesting that those with power are deluded in their belief of its supremacy, with the statue personified as sneering, cold, and mocking
• Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" reflects the oppression of powerful leaders and the transience of mankind’s power, mocking rulers for thinking they will be any different from the previous ones and criticizing systems where individuals are given excessive power
• In "Ozymandias," Shelley uses dramatic irony to show the destruction of Ozymandias' legacy, highlighting the transient nature of power and the eventual reduction of his empire to sand
• Comparing "Ozymandias" with "My Last Duchess":

  • Both poems suggest that humanity's pride and power are unfounded, with symbols of nature and time undermining human power
  • Differences: MLD focuses on the Duchess as a symbol of oppression, while Ozymandias uses the statue as a symbol for all figures of power
• Comparing "Ozymandias" with "The Prelude":

  • Both poems display nature as more powerful than mankind, showing human power as weak and transient
  • Differences: The Prelude explores the overwhelming power of nature leading to the speaker's loss of eloquence, while Ozymandias conveys this through the symbolism of the desert and time