Ozymandias

• Ozymandias was written by Shelly in a collection
in 1819
• Ozymandias was inspired by the recent unearthing of part of a large statue of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II
• Egyptian Pharaohs like Ramesses believed themselves to be gods in mortal form and that their legacy would last forever
• The reference to the stone statue in Ozymandias is likely a direct reference to the statues and sculptures like the one which was unearthed
• On the base of the statue is written (translated) "King of Kings am I, Osymandias. If anyone would know how great I am and where I lie, let him surpass one of my works"
• The Statue of Ramesses now sits in the London Museum
• 'Mock' in Ozymandias is a Pun because of the double meaning
• 'Antique' in Ozymandias suggests the place is old and steeped in history, but also it may be out of date and old-fashioned
• The statue in Ozymandias is barely standing, the rest is ruined and missing, suggesting that it is being eaten away by time and the desert
• • Allegory: 'The statue in the poem, broken and falling apart in the desert with nobody to care is an allegory of Ozymandias and of every powerful man or woman, the idea that they will also drift away until they are just another grain of sand'
• The poem is an ironic memorial to the ego of an ancient Pharaoh
• The statue is an allegory for the eventual end of power that everyone must suffer, especially the proud
• Power, like the statue, is lost to the sands which in turn represent time
• The poem is about the statue of a long dead king
• The statue breaking down shows how people are forgetting the dead king
• Power does not last forever
• Ozymandius: A straightforward poem about pride and power fading away