English lit poetry

• Declarative statement

  Highlighting arrogance and hubristic nature
• Use of caesura ","

  • Encourages the reader to pause
  • Attempts to either recognise him or revel in his presence
  • Creates a sense of irony as the reader attempts to recognise his name but cannot since time has caused his power to be irrelevant
• Use of plosives - repetition of "K" sound

  • Creates a reassuring/undisputable tone
  • Adds to the tone of pride, arrogance and hubris
• We consider Ozymandias hubris because he is arrogantly sure of himself that he is mighty and powerful
• He views himself as omnipotent almost likens himself to God
• King of Kings

  Reference to Revelation 19:16 and Christians describing Jesus
• Shelley may have done this to create an ironic tone and semantic field of arrogance
• A dead man who is entirely irrelevant to our lives as readers is trying to flaunt his non-existent power
• The ironic tone creates a sense of mockery that seems to be an overreaching theme in the poem
• Perhaps Shelley is critiquing man's ego or insignificance