ozymandias Flashcards
I met a traveller from an antique land
poet distancing himself -description of Ozymandias (time, space)
not non patriotic so distances himself from the poem
antique -therst for power is as old as history
contrast modern day move away from old views
more democratic future
context
nepolean that has just been defeated
writing against the ruling class in Britain
lord wellington becoming priminister
bitten ruled by military =dictator =poets fear
and wrinkled lip ,and sneer of cold command
wrinkle=age
ozymandiases power already dieing when he was at his peek
can’t cling on to power as loosing it is just a moment away
Napoleon 1810 all powerful
1812 defeated
sneer -ruler rule over us with contempt need a more democraticsistom
people born in power have no sympathy for the needy and struggling
cold command
harsh alliterations symbolises how harsh and emotionless the ruler is command =militatary leader -lord welling ton
the hand that mocked them and the heart that fead
describes sculpture as well
hand that mocked them -he grease them as inferior to them
heading them nothing because it is a shrivelled heart
irony do0es not feed him emotionally or physically
art is way more powerful than power
sculpture mocking ozymandias as he is showing his true colours
Paton passed down to the sculpture to shelly
structure
line 8 it starts to change
sonnet
between the 6 and 8 (octate)Lin it terns (Valter)
look on my works ye mighty and despair
hopes to despair on how wonderful and powerful this ruler was
ironically there is nothing left
my works =celebration of the artist
ozymandias should despair at the artist power
of that colossal wreck
end on a Classical Greek reference
colossus
an allusion reader would pick up on
even the most mighty symbols of power get destroyed over time
the colossus as an work of art still lives on power of art
irony is hat shelly want what ozymandiaz wants both want there power to last forever
