Ozymandias

• What type of poem is Ozymandias, what could this mean?

  -Sonnet

  -Perhaps about Ozymandias' love for himself or perhaps about love for nature as nature always wins
• What is Ozymandias' rhyme scheme? What could it reflect?

  -Irregular Rhyme Scheme

  -A lack of control and the irregularity of power- it never lats
• What are the themes in Ozymandias

  -Power of humans

  -Power of Nature

  -Pride

  -Abuse of Power
• Half ..., ... ... ... lies'

  'Half sunk, a shattered visage lies
• Half sunk, a shattered visage lies'


  -Metaphor

  -Shows the power of nature has taken over

  -Long forgotten as his face is unidentifiable

  -Reinforces the idea that power is transient and fleeting

  -'Shattered' symbolises how his power has been destroyed by Mother Nature
• King ... ...'

  'King of Kings
• King of Kings'

  -Reveals arrogance and narcissim

  -Believes himself to be omnipotent
• Look ... ... ... ye ... ... ...'


  'Look on my works ye might and despair
• Look on my works ye might and despair'

  -Dramatic irony

  -Imperative verb

  -There are no works to look upon, it has all been destroyed by nature

  -Arrogance leads to stupidity
• ... ... cold ... ....'

  'Sneer of cold command
• Sneer of cold command'

  -Imperative verb

  -Alliteration

  -Although he was once a leader, all his authority has been reduced to nothing by nature
• Of that colassal wreck'

  -Adjective/Hyperbole

  -Shows what was once a mighty empire has been reduced to a great mess

  -Juxtaposes the once-great empire

  -Nature will always overpower human power
• Who was the Pharoah that Ozymandias is based on?

  Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias. In particular the discovery of a semi-destroyed and decaying statue of him.
• What was happening with power ideas at the time?

  -The french revolution was a big influence at the time.

  -Many agreed that power should be with the majority

  -Shelley may be commenting on the arrogance and ignorance of autocratic rulers.
• Why would Shelley have disaproved of a ruler like Ozymandias?

  -He disaproved of royalty and the notion that lower classes should be kept down.
• What kind of poet was Shelley and what impact would this have on his work?

  -Shelley was a romantic poet

  -Poetry should capture emotions and feelings not fact and reason