Ozymandius- Percy Bysshe Shelley

• what type of thinker was Bysshe Shelly

  • a radical revolutionary thinker ( to think about the big picture )
  • he was a romantic poet
• Who was the sonnet based off of ?

  • Ramesis ii
  • a powerful and tyranical leader
• What is the poem about on the surface level?

  A traveller describes a ruined statue of a once-powerful king in the desert.
• What is ironic about the poem’s central message?

  Ozymandias boasts about his greatness, but all that remains is a broken statue.
• What does the shattered statue symbolise?

  The decay of power and the inevitable decline of all empires.

  Man is EPHEMERAL
• What is the effect of the poem being a second-hand account?

  It creates distance, making the king’s legacy seem even more lost and forgotten.
• What does “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” show?

  • Ozymandias’ arrogance and belief in his eternal power.
  • 'look' and ' despair' is imperitive and commanding much like Ramesis
• What is ironic about the quote: “Look on my Works…”?

  There is no works left . only sand and ruins
• How does Shelley show the power of nature?

  • Nature has eroded the statue; it outlasts human achievements.
  • much like the shakespearean quote ' out out brief candle , life is but a walking shadow '
• What does the “sneer of cold command” suggest about Ozymandias?

  He was a harsh, authoritative ruler who inspired fear.
• How does Shelley use alliteration?

  “cold command” – emphasises Ozymandias’ cruelty.
• What is the tone of the poem?

  Detached , cold , reflective
• What is the significance of the “lone and level sands”?

  Nature’s vastness and indifference to human pride.
• How is enjambment used in the poem?

  It shows the flow of time and undermines the permanence of power.
• How does the poet criticise power and pride?

  By showing how time erases even the mightiest rulers.
• What message does Shelley convey about legacy?

  Human achievements are temporary and forgotten by time.
• Why is Shelley’s Romanticism important?

  Romantics valued nature and emotion over human power and order.
• What does the “colossal wreck” symbolise?

  The ruined ambitions of powerful leaders.
• How does Shelley’s context influence the poem?

  He was anti-monarchy and critical of oppressive governments.
• How does Shelley use irony overall?

  to expose the futility of power and human pride.
• What poetic techniques are in “half sunk, a shattered visage lies”?

  Imagery and alliteration – highlights the physical decay.
• Why is there no clear rhyme scheme?

  It reflects the brokenness of Ozymandias’ legacy.
• 'Half sunk ......'

  ' a shattered visage lies '
• ' and wrinkled lip ...'

  ' and sneer of cold command '
• 'two vast ...'

  ' and trunkless legs of stone '
• 'king...'

  'of kings '
• 'colossal wreck...'

  'boundless and bare '
• 'look on my works....'

  ' ye mighty , and dispare'
• 'nothing besides ...'

  'remains '
• ' the hand that ...'

  'mocked them , the heart that fed them '