Ozymandias Flashcards
Who is Ozymandias written by?
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
What movement does Shelley’s work exemplify?
Romanticism.
What is the tone of Ozymandias?
Mocking
What is the format of Ozymandias?
It is a mixture between a Shakespearean and Pertrarchan sonnet.
Who are the characters in Ozymandias?
The speaker, the traveller and Ozymandias.
What themes does Ozymandias speak to?
The fragility of life and reputations, and the temporary life of power.
What parts of speech and poetic devices does Ozymandias contain?
Allegory, extended metaphor, synecdoche, enjambment, volta, irony, assonance, alliteration, rhyme.
What does ‘Ozymandias’ mean?
‘Ozy’ comes from the Greek ‘ozium’ which means either ‘to breathe’ or ‘air’. ‘Mandias’ comes from the Greek ‘mandate’ which means ‘to rule’.
What is the poem about?
The poem concerns the discovery of a semi-destroyed and decaying statue of Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias, and shows how power deteriorates and will not last forever.
