ozymandias - percy bysshe shelley Flashcards
When was Ozymandias written? What is the relevance of this time?
Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley was written in 1817. This is during the reign of George III, a tyrannical ruler, which Shelley rebelled against.
Give a plot summary for Ozymandias.
ozymandias - percy bysshe shelley:
- the speaker retells a conversation with a traveller, about an old, broken statue in the desert of Ramesses II
- it was “two vast and trunkless legs of stone” with a powerful looking, yet broken, face
- the pedestal says “Ozymandias, king of kings”
- his reign seemed overpowering, but now, the statue is destroyed
- this is indirectly about George III, the tyrannical ruler of the time when the poem was written
What type of poet was Percy Bysshe Shelley?
Percy Bysshe Shelley was a Romantic poet (wrote about love and nature).
What ideals was Percy Bysshe Shelley known for?
Percy Bysshe Shelley was well known for his radical and anti-establishment ideas. He also believed in the power of nature over man.
Give nine key quotes from Ozymandias.
ozymandias - percy bysshe shelley
- “I met a traveller… who said”
- “two vast and trunkless legs of stone”
- “half sunk, a shattered visage lies”
- “frown and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command”
- “the hand that mocked them”
- “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
- “nothing beside remains”
- “decay… colossal wreck”
- “boundless and bare, the lone and levels sands stretch far and away”
Give five relevant points about structure or form in Ozymandias.
ozymandias - percy bysshe shelley
- a sonnet (14 lines)
- iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line)
- irony used throughout though immediate juxtaposition
- caesura (“nothing beside remains.”)
- very little rhyme, no scheme
Give five themes present within Ozymandias.
ozymandias - percy bysshe shelley:
- power of humans
- power of nature
- control
- suffering
- pride
