Ozymandias Analysis

• Ozymandias

  The Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias
• Ozymandias

  • Shelley, one of the most famous poets of his time, explores conflict in his poem Ozymandias, which was named after the Egyptian pharaoh, Rameses II. It is thought that Shelley, a radical romantic poet who often criticised society in his works, was making implicit links between Rameses' powerful but violent rein with that of George III. George III reigned during the time the poem was written, and was generally disliked.
  • The poem engages in these issues of power and conflict through the discussion of a huge statue in the desert, which is of Ozymandias. All of the pharaoh's works haven't lasted, and the statue is almost destroyed. This decay reflects how exploits which are impressive but not morally good will be criticised and forgotten about after they end. The poem explores conflict between man and time and memory, as Ozymandias was largely forgotten, even though he thought his memory would last forever. The poem also touches on the power of art and words, as people may not have remembered Ozymandias, but part of the statue remained, as well as the words placed on the inscription. Overall, the message of the poem could be considered to be a reminder that power will not last forever.
• Desert suggests a lifelessness and lack of culture.
• The image of a shattered visage creates a sense of irony: a King who believed so strongly in his own power and superiority, and who tried so hard to present this image of greatness through his statue, has now been forgotten and destroyed by time other than the visage that had been intended to show he was unforgettable.
• The wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command tell that its sculptor well those passions read which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, the hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed;
• The pedestal message "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" is ironic when the reader knows that nothing beside remains and the lone and level sands stretch far away.
• The opening "I met a traveller from an antique land" instantly passes any responsibility for the opinions within the poem onto a (probably fictional) stranger.
• Shelley uses Ozymandias as an allegory for King George III.
• Structure

  • The irregular rhyme scheme contrasts with the single stanza as the former suggests a lack of power and control of the ruler, whereas the single stanza suggests order. These contrasts could reflect how different groups of people view war and conflict as either beneficial or detrimental to society.
  • The poem blends Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets, and Shelley does this in order to demonstrate that all power – even the power of literary conventions – is transient and subject to evolution.
• Rhyme Scheme

  • Irregular rhyme scheme contrasts with the single stanza
  • Suggests a lack of power and control of the ruler
  • Whereas the single stanza suggests order
• Sonnet

  • Blends Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets
  • Demonstrates that all power - even the power of literary conventions - is transient and subject to evolution
• Petrarchan Sonnet


  Takes the traditional fourteen lines and Octet-Volta-Sestet structure
• Shakespearean Sonnet

  1. Irregular rhyme scheme closer to ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

  2. Uses consistent iambic pentameter
• Iambic Pentameter


  Technique where the poet uses ten syllables in each line, with pairs of sounds going da-DA with the emphasis on the second syllable
• The irregular rhyme scheme breaks away from the sonnet form which enables Shelley to imply how poetry and literature can defy tradition and give way to new power
• Shelley is directly demonstrating that conventions can be changed, replaced and edited
• Romantic Poets

  • Focused their work on defying old ideas be them ideas of rhythm or religion, meter or monarchy
• By adding his own style to the sonnet, Shelley encourages the belief that convention should never be accepted without challenge
• Sonnets

  Traditionally love poems
• By Shelley selecting to make the statue the focus of the poem, it could be argued that he is making this an object of love and respect
• This may work to disguise political messages, whilst still focusing on the power of nature
• Alliteration


  • Demonstrates the vast, unending power of the desert
  • Contrasts and belittles the limited power of man
• Consonance

  • Repetition of the harsh "c" sound helps to reflect the callous lack of compassion the king had for his subjects
  • Portrays cruelty and aggression
• The consonance also suggests a use of power for military aims without any interference from empathy or compassion
• Allegory

  The poem can be seen as an allegory, with Ozymandias representing King George III and all figures of power
• The image of a shattered visage creates a sense of irony, as the poem portrays a King who believed so strongly in his own power and superiority, yet his statue has now been forgotten and destroyed by time
• The transient and insignificant nature of human power is a key message in Shelley's poem, as he wanted to reform and reassign power to better structure a corrupt industrialising society
• Desert Setting


  • Strips Ozymandias of his legacy
  • The emptiness of the desert is symbolic of how his reign was pointless and insignificant as he has been forgotten by history
• The sand has literally covered over Ozymandias' statue, showing how time can erase the power of man
• Focus on Power and Pride

  • Shelley is criticising power
  • There is a negative semantic field surrounding this theme
• The speaker is criticising Ozymandias and all he represents, including his power and pride, suggesting that those with power are deluded in their belief of the supremacy of their power
• The King is confident that the legacy of his power will remain throughout history, but the speaker sees that the statue, and therefore the King's legacy, is destroyed
• Shelley has sculpted his poem to reflect the oppression of powerful leaders and the transience of mankind's power
• Shelley is criticising systems in which individuals are given so much power that despite their abuse of it, the population are unable to remove them because there is no alternative
• Shelley is criticising all power being centred on a person who derives their importance from an image and perceived divine right to power