Ozymandias - Percy Shelley Flashcards
What are the themes in Ozymandias?
- Power
- Power of time
- loss
How is power shown in Ozymandias?
Ozymandias used to have power over many people but he abused his power and so no one remembered him.
What quotes show power?
“king of kings”
“sneer of cold command”
“look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair”
How do these quotes show power?
“king of kings” show that he has more power than anyone, even kings. The statue has a “sneer of cold command” because it shows that he looks down on people because he thinks he is better than everyone. “look on my works ye mighty and despair” shows that he’s saying to people that they need to give up because he will always win with all of his power.
How is power of time shown in Ozymandias?
Time has more power than Ozymandias because after time as gone past everyone has forgotten Ozymandias and his power has gone.
What quotes show the power of time?
“antique land”
“nothing beside remains round the decay”
How do these quotes show power of time?
“antique land” tells us that it is now long forgotten and no one is there anymore. “nothing beside remains round the decay” shows nothing is there anymore and the statue has rotted over time which could be a symbol for the power rotting away.
How is loss shown in Ozymandias?
There is a loss of power because over time Ozymandias has lost all of his power to the point when no one remembers him
What quotes show loss?
“These lifeless things”
“boundless and bare”
How do these quotes show loss?
“lifeless” shows that there is no life left even though there used to be so there is a loss of life. “boundless and bare” tells us that there is nothing left so the loss is large.
