Ozymandias - analysis Flashcards
‘Ozymandias’
title reflects to Ramses II, an egyptian Pharaoh who was known for being a tyrant
polysyllabic title, suggests poem will tackle complex issues
simple one word narrows focus
‘antique land’
antique suggests age - the events happened a long time ago but the memory is till in existence
‘two vast and trunkless legs’
statue is ‘vast’ but also trunkless - shows his power may have been huge but there was no substance to it, soon faded away
‘desert…..sand’
nouns show isolation of statue in its environment-sands surround this one example of humanity
‘sunk, a shattered’
verbs show nature has eroded and destroyed this symbol of human power. suggest natural environment will always outlast any human settlements, reminding us of our own mortality. even most powerful will turn to dust.
‘and wrinkled lip…..cold command’
adjectives give an evil expression of Ozymandias as a ruler
cold command - consonance
‘the hand that mocked them’
artists work mocking king by making model or king, didn’t mean to portray him negatively but maybe it was inevitable that his cruelty would show due to it being an inextricable part of him
‘pedestal’
irony: pedestals by idiomatic connotation presents his power as undeserved
‘king of kings’
- same phrase in Bible. could be criticising and suggesting Ozymandias sees himself as a powerful God. suggesting church will crumble
- criticises leaders and their ideas of themselves and ability to rule suggests he views himself as omnipotent
‘look in my words’
kings expects empire and kingdom to survive, which is dramatic irony
‘Mighty’
words on pedestal are Ozymandias’ own opinion of himself and show inflated opinion of himself. clearly a tyrannical ruler who used his power to punish others. he addresses the ‘Mighty’ showing he could be talking to the God. suggesting deluded opinion of himself.
‘despair’
imperatives show Ozymandias’ commanding style. ‘despair’ shows he wanted his subjects and enemies to view him with fear and envy. irony is there is nobody in the desert to view the crumbling statue - only one who would ‘despair’ is Ozymandias
‘collosal wreck’ ‘boundless and bare’
technique - alliterative (b + b)
nouns symbolise legacy of Ozymandias, nothing but crumbling stone that is turning to dust. Oxymoron ‘collosal wreck’ suggests the fragile nature of h7man power - even the mightiest will fall
‘lone and level’
alliterative
level - monotonous and featureless. no sign of his legacy
lone - isolated. statue all that remains. his cruelty is only remembrance
‘sands stretch’
sand covered statue
verb ‘suggests’ suggests that nature will outlast man + humanity - our place on this earth is only temporary and is no match for our natural environment and time
