Ozymandias Flashcards
What themes are presented in this poem?
Loss of power, identity, memory, nature vs humans, destruction
“I met a traveller from an antique land.”
“traveller”
- not firsthand
- Ozymandias is no longer renowned
- ironic since he believed his statue will allow his legacy to live on forever
“antique”
- relic of the past
- lacks relevancy and power
- incredibly old
“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone”
“vast”
-egotistical, he wanted the statue to be huge
“trunkless”
- lacking a body so it hasn’t been maintained.
- not as honoured as he wanted to be
- nature eventually takes hold of your legacy
- power and fame is fleeting/transient
- nature has destroyed his statue
juxtaposition between “vast” and “trunkless” emphasises the change and loss of power
“a shattered visage lies, whose frown/ And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command”
“shattered”
- often used to describe broken glass
- fragility
- once it breaks, it is no longer useful
- nature has eroded his significance
“visage”
- statue is faceless and unidentified
- irony that despite his desperate efforts to stay remembered, his name and face is not recognised
“lies”
- play on words
- his face often deceived people
- tyrant
“sneer”
-often mocked and degraded people
“wrinkled”
-as if he smirking or entertained
“cold command”
-alliteration emphasises how tyrannical and merciless he was
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye mighty and despair!”
“my name”
- ironic
- the fact he has to introduce himself shows that he isn’t renowned
“king of kings”
- biblical reference
- putting himself in the same of place as God
- extremely hubristic
“despair”
- he is oppressive
- wants people to be unhappy
- wants to be feared
“Nothing beside remains.”
- volta
- shift represents his loss in power
- it is all gone
“Round the decay”
“decay”
- adds to the idea that he is rotten
- overtime, he is exposed
- never was good
