Ozymandias Flashcards
Context
Percy is a romantic poet ( anti establishment) nature is sublime shouldn’t be following government conventions as they are oppressive and restrictive
“Look at my works , ye might pay and dispar”
Look stressed syllable st the start heightens ozys tone of command
Despair - he tells others to dispair because of the size and grandeur of his works but the should dispair because power is temporary and ultimately unimportant like his
Irony - shelley uses this to highlight the transient nature of human power showing how even the greatest is eventually erroded my nature and time (tyrannical power is not long lasting)
Form
Stanza length - mix of Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnet which is typically a love poem which is ironic as no one had any love for ozy and that is shown through this shattered stature (mockery of tyrannical power)
The poem is a sonnet, with a turning-point (volta) at line 9 like a Petrarchan sonnet.
However, it doesn’t follow a regular sonnet rhyme scheme, perhaps reflecting the way that human power and structures can be destroyed. It uses iambic pentameter, but this is also often disrupted.
The story is a second-hand account, which distances the reader even further from the dead king.
Rhyme scheme
The irregular rhyme scheme contrasts with the single stanza as the former suggests a lack of power and control of the ruler, whereas the single stanza suggests order. These contrasts could reflect how different groups of people view war and conflict as either beneficial or detrimental to society.
Extended metaphor
Transience of tyrannical power and Shelley does this through the metaphor of the stature
Structure
The narrator builds up an image of the statue by focusing on different parts of it in turn.
The poem ends by describing the enormous desert, which helps to sum up the insignificance of the statue.
Irony
“Dispair “. “ the hand that mock’d them” - making fun of ozymandias
“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone “ - emphasis size and stature but shows how it’s still incomplete
There’s nothing left to show for the ruler’s arrogant boasting or his great civilisation.
The ruined statue can be seen as a symbol for the temporary nature of political power or human achievement. Shelley’s use of irony reflects his hatred of oppression and his belief that it is possible to overturn social and political order.
Language of power
“Which yet survive , stamped on these lifeless things” - having survive and lifeless on the same line hints at how art can outlast human power but the ruined stature shows that ultimately art can not immortalise power.
The poem focuses on the power of Ozymandias, representing human power.
However his power has been lost and is only visible due to the power of art. Ultimately, nature has ruined the statue, showing that nature and time have more power than anything else.
Angry language
“King of kings” “ ye mighty” “sneer of cold command”.
The tyranny of the ruler is suggested through aggressive language. he can’t be challenged by other rulers
Feelings and attitudes in the poems
PRIDE — The ruler was proud of what he’d achieved. He called on other rulers to admire what he did.
ARROGANCE - The inscription shows that the ruler believed that he was the most powerful ruler in the land - nobody else could compete with him. He also thought he was better than those he ruled POWER — Human civilisations and achievements are insignificant compared to the passing of time.
Art has the power to preserve elements of human existence, but it is also only temporary.
