Ozymandias - NTL Flashcards
‘Two vast
And trunklees legs of stone’
Percy Shelley
Born in 1792.
Romantic Poet - Dislike of urban life and embrace of natural world.
Came from wealth
Atheist
Context
Written in reign of king george III, who was involved in numerous military conflict.
Wanted a revolution to overthrow.
2nd Context
Rameses II (ozymandias) was an egyptian pharaoh who was a ruler who led many battles to protect egypt and extend borders. - Similar to king george III
‘Half sunk,.
, a shattered visage lies’
‘sneer of
cold command’
Alliterative repetition of hard ‘C’ sounds reflect the harsh nature of ozymandias.
Despite his power being gone, the artist has made it obvious of his temperament- nature hasn’t destroyed his aggression.
‘The hand that
mocked them and the heart that fed.’
‘Mocked’ - To create or make, or the artist was mocking ozymandias or strategically attacking him, or to show how poetry outlived powerful (poetry is art)
‘King of
kings’
‘Nothing beside
remains’
‘Round the
decay of that collosal wreck’
‘The lone and level
sands stretched far away’
Detached shelley from poem
His works have faded into nothing except dust due to nature.
Themes
Those with power are deluded that they believe their power is invincible and supreme- their power will one day go away. Power doesn’t last, however art does last (represented through structure)
Criticises religious beliefs
Nature will overtake human power, and will last forever.
Negative words / semantic field
‘Sunk, shattered, frown, wrinkled, sneer’
Make it clear the poem is an attack and not praising the powerful.
‘boundless and
bare’
To emphasise emptiness.
‘I met a traveler’
‘from an antique land’
Wants to seem like it wasn’t a direct criticism on the monarchy.
