Ozymandias In-depth

• Percy Bysshe Shelley


  Percy Bysshe Shelley's Ozymandias describes the narrator's meeting with a travellerfrom a foreign land.

  • Shelley was a Romantic poet and wroteOzymandias in 1818. (He began writing in 1817).

  • Written in a sonnet form.

  • Shelley was radical politically and disapproved of the British monarchy.

  • You could argue that this poem is a criticism of wielding (having and using) power in an undemocratic way and ruling as a

  tyrant.
• Title: Ozymandias 


  Zoom on title: Ozymandias

  • ‘Ozymandias’ is another name for a famous ancient Egyptian Pharaoh – Ramses II – a successful warrior and builder.

  • He was considered to be one of the most powerful Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
• Summary Of Ozymandias

  • A narrator describes his meeting with a travellerfrom a foreign land.

  • This travellertold him a story about finding the shattered remains of an ancient statue of a king in the desert.

  • The inscription beneath the statue indicates that the king was arrogant, proud and boastful.
• Key Imagery in Ozymandias

  Meeting - A narrator describes his meeting with a travellerfrom a foreign land.

  Desert - This travellertold him a story about finding the shattered remains of an ancient statue of a king in the desert.

  Inscription - The inscription beneath the statue indicates that the king was arrogant, proud and boastful.
• In Ozymandias, the inscription beneath the statue indicates that the king is:

  • Proud (feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone

  with whom one is closely associated).

  • Arrogant (having or revealing an exaggeration sense of one's own importance or abilities).

  • Boastful (showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements, possessions or abilities).
• The poem delivers a powerful message about the ephemeral (temporary) nature of power. It also highlights the insignificance of humans compared to nature and time.
• Arrogance of rulers:

  • Shelley points out the arrogance of Ramses (also spelt Ramesses) and other leaders, whose power has led to pride and the mistreatment of others.

  • The sculptor satirises (uses humour or irony to criticise) Ozymandias, shown by the phrase, “the hand that mocked them...”.
• Power of art:

  • By describing how nothing remains of Ozymandias but a work of art (statue) and collection of words (inscription), Shelley suggests that art, language and

  literature are far more enduring (lasting) than human power.
• Timeless message:

  • There is a certain timelessness to the poem.

  • You could argue that its messages about the abuse of power and the temporary nature of political authority are as relevant today as when Shelley was

  writing.
• Humans vs nature and time

  • The poem highlights the insignificance of humans compared to nature and time.
• Power of art

  • By describing how nothing remains of Ozymandias but a work of art and collection of words, Shelley suggests that art, language and literature are far

  more enduring (lasting) than human power.
• Arrogance of rulers

  • Shelley points out the arrogance of Ramses and other leaders, whose power has led to pride and the mistreatment of others.
• Timeless message

  • There is a certain timelessness to the poem.

  • You could argue that its messages about the abuse of power and the temporary nature of political authority are as relevant today as when Shelley was

  writing.
• The messages in Ozymandias are arguably as relevant today as they were when Shelley was writing. ---> Temporary nature of political power & abuse power
• Ozymandias' power comes to an end
• This reflects Shelley's overarching message that human power is ephemeral
• Shelley uses techniques to emphasise that human power is temporary
• Techniques Shelley uses to emphasise the ephemeral nature of Ozymandias' power

  1. Caesura

  2. Juxtaposition

  3. Ruined statue metaphor
• Caesura

  Break in the line
• The caesura after "remains" in line 12


  Highlights how Ozymandias' power has come to an end
• Juxtaposition

  Placing two things together for comparison or contrast
• The juxtaposition of "colossal" and "wreck"

  Emphasises the contrast between his former power and his current state
• Ruined statue metaphor

  The ruined statue is a metaphor for political power
• Just as the face of the statue is "shattered", "decay[ed]" and a "wreck", So too is Ozymandias' power
• Ozymandias

  A negative portrayal of a corrupt ruler and the abuse of power
• Literary devices used by Shelley

  • Alliteration
  • Negative language
• How alliteration contributes to the negative portrayal

  Use of harsh 'c' and 'b' sounds in "cold command" and "boundless and bare"
• Negative language used to describe the ruler

  • frown
  • sneer
  • wrinkled
  • stamped
• The negative language reflects the poet's own feelings towards the king and those who rule in a cruel manner
• Ozymandias


  Represents corrupt rulers and the misuse of power
• Ozymandias

  • Arrogant
  • Proud
  • Boastful
• Techniques used to characterise Ozymandias

  1. Imperative language

  2. Repetition
• Imperative language


  The imperative verb "look" indicates how controlling the king was
• Repetition

  • The repetition of "king" in "king of kings" shows how Ozymandias wished to portray himself as omnipotent (all-powerful)
  • It suggests he is trying to deify himself (make himself a god) and wants to be worshipped as one
• Fragmented (Broken) Rhythm and Rhyme

  • Shelley does not follow a regular rhythm or rhyming scheme
  • This gives the poem a fragmented (broken) feel
  • Shelley does this to reflect Ozymandias' crumbling power
• Techniques Shelley uses

  1. Irregular rhyming scheme

  2. Rhythm breaker

  3. Enjambment and caesura
• Irregular rhyming scheme

  The rhyme scheme does not follow that of a Shakespearean or Petrarchan sonnet
• The poem is 14 lines long and written in iambic pentameter (apart from one line)
• The poem is in the form of a sonnet
• The rebellious mixing of different sonnet forms


  Echoes the seditious (trying to make people rebel) nature of Shelley's comments on political authority