Ozymandias Flashcards
title
naming a poem after a person implies their power and importance – this is known to be true because Ozymandias was an excellent Egyptian pharaoh
‘Ozy’ comes from the Greek ‘Ozium’ = ‘to breathe’ and ‘Mandias’ comes from the Greek ‘mandate’ = ‘to rule’. His name suggests that it is natural for Ozymandias to rule.
stanza 1 - 1
The first line ‘I met a traveller from an antique land,’ implies that the story of Ozymandias is told by a random traveller and the poem is told by a persona who is not that traveller.
if the poems persona had to be told about Ozymandias by some random traveller, it suggests that Ozymandias wasn’t widely known, highlighting that his fame and power had faded.
Image ‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone’ suggests that Ozymandias was once powerful and sturdy as the stone statue was seemingly huge. However, describing the ‘legs’ as ‘trunkless’ suggests that it doesn’t have a torso which shows how weak and broken Ozymandias is now.
this image of a shattered ‘visage’ (face) suggests that no person not even Ozymandias has longer lasting power -time and nature will eventually overpower man.
stanza 1 - 2
consonance in ‘cold command’ amplifies Ozymandias harshness as the sound ‘c’ is quite harsh. The aggressive language in the verb ‘sneer’ highlights that the sculptor understood the tyranny and arrogance of the ruler.
the contrast between ‘survive’ and ‘lifeless’ reminds the reader that Ozymandias is dead just like his legacy - this act as a reminder that we cannot last forever because time and nature will eventually overpower man.
words or phrases like ‘frown’, ‘sneer’ and ‘mocked’ present Ozymandias in a negative light - Shelly may have wanted to show that power corrupts people. This view may have been influenced by his family life because he had a poor relationship with his father who was an MP, and he may have believed that power corrupted him.
stanza 2 - 1
‘Pedestals’ are associated with power and authority. Ozymandias statue is on one reminding us that he used to have power.
‘King of Kings’ and ‘ye Mighty’ are religious references and so a religious tone is contained within these phrases.
This religious tone implies arrogance as Ozymandias thinks that he is better than God.
The Imperative ‘look’ implies that Ozymandias is trying to command ‘ye Mighty’ (God) which highlights his incredible arrogance. This is further emphasized by the stressed syllable ‘look’ at the start of the line, which exaggerates his tone of command.
stanza 2 - 2
The image ‘Round the decay of that colossal Wreck’ is one of decay and ruin which shows that despite his arrogance Ozymandias empire has crumbled.
Shelley may be trying to say that arrogance gets you nowhere - this view may stem from Shelly’s initial support of the French revolution which went against the arrogance of the French monarchy.
the alliteration in ‘boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away’ emphasize the notion of emptiness and nothingness of the desert.
the repeated ‘b’ in ‘boundless’ and ‘bare’ and the repeated ‘l’ in ‘lone and ‘level’ and the ‘s’ in ‘sands stretch’ emphasizes that the desert is vast and survives longer than the broken statue highlighting the insignificance of Ozymandias
quotes
stanza 1 - 1
* ‘I met a traveller from an antique land,’
* ‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone’
* ‘shattered visage’ (face)
stanza 1 - 2
* ‘cold command’ , ‘sneer’
* contrast between ‘survive’ and ‘lifeless’
* ‘frown’, ‘sneer’ and ‘mocked’ present Ozymandias in a negative light - power corrupts people
stanza 2 - 1
* ‘Pedestals’
* ‘King of Kings’ and ‘ye Mighty’
* ‘look’
stanza 2 - 2
* ‘Round the decay of that colossal Wreck’
* alliteration in ‘boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away’
