Ozymandias Flashcards
What is a quote for Meaning?
“Wrecked”
Shows power of nature/ people losing power/ humans are inferior to nature.
What is a quote for Imagery?
“Trunkless”
No torso/ Shows Ozymandias had no heart and was a ruthless ruler.
This further hyperbolises the power of nature as it was able to destroy everything he made, despite his power and control over the nation.
What are the quotes for Tone?
“Mocked” “King of kings”
Arrogant tone:
“King of kings” shows he is full of himself,
The sculpture “mocked” him when making his statue, shows that Ozymandias is arrogant because a sculpture can manipulate his appearance so shows that Ozymandias does not have total control and is arrogant to think he does.
Nieve tone,
Ozymandias thinks he’s big, then nature destroys everything he created, showing he has not power
“lone and level sands”, “boundless and bare”
What are the quotes/ components for structure?
Sonnet:
Tends to be romantic which shows Ozymandias loves himself bare, he thinks he is really powerful but nature drops him.
Sonnets are also set out in two parts, the first 8 lines suggest a problem (Ozymandias’ rule) and the next 6 lines show the solution (nature destroying Ozymandias’ “works”) this shows the power of nature and time are far superior over man, and resolves all the problems we make with ease.
What are the quotes for language?
Semantic field of loss of power:
“decay”, “remains”, “shattered”
shows that nature is more powerful than man and that Mr Ozymandias ain’t shit compared to nature.
What is the context within the poem?
Pharaoh’s believed they were Gods on Earth. They believed in taking their wealth and power with them. There power was determined by the buildings they left behind such as Tombs. It is a poem about a statue. Rameses the second was a tyrant known for no remorse.
What is the meaning behind the poem?
The extended idea of Irony which is caused through the arrogance of man. From the powerful statue to an old broken statue now seen as comical.
What is the context of the author Shelly?
He was from a very wealthy family and was expelled from Oxford. His life relates to the poem through the way it collapsed.
