Ozymandias SS Flashcards
1
Q
‘Ozymandias’
A
- refers to King Ramesses II, who was a pharaoh in the dynasty of Egypt.
- He was known as Ramasses the great, the quintessence of power, fame and greatness. He was also known as the ‘Great Ancestor’
2
Q
‘I met a traveller from an antique land who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert…’
A
- ‘I met a traveller from an antique land’ —> ‘I’ —> from the offset, unknown narratorial voice narrates the experience of meeting a traveller who saw the remains of the Ozymandias statue. Also, the noun ‘travller’ creates a further sense of unknown by introducing another poetic persona which has no identity. The two poetic personas—> indicate the power of Ozymandias since he is renowned and well-known by those in the poem despite being from ancient Egypt.
- ‘antique land’ —> However, the topographical marker uses the adjective ‘antique’ —> suggests archaic nature and creates a sense of anonymity. This implies a lack of knowledge of the land indicating that Ozymandias power perhaps is emphemeral as his kingdom is not well understood by more contemporary poetic personas.
- ## ‘vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert…’ —> adjective ‘vast’ implies —> majestic nature, whilst ‘trunkless’ —> implies that the stone lacks substance and is the remnants of a previous structure. This indicates a sense of deterioration portraying nature as all-encompassing and superior to Ozymandias kingdom and memories.
3
Q
‘…Near them, on the sand, half-sunk, a shattered visage lies’
A
- ‘on the sand’ —> uses the adjective ‘sand’ as a topographical marker and this creates imagery of isolation and lifelessness since if alludes to the desert which is where the statue is found. This reference indicates that Ozymandias’s power has been overthrown by nature and is now concealed within the ‘sand’ since the memory of his empire is forgotten and is detached from the modern world.
- ‘half-sunk, a shattered visage lies’ —> term ‘half-sunk’ indicates that the statue’s existence is half destroyed. This implies that Ozymandias’s memory is dilapidated and is becoming engulfed by nature. In ‘shattered visage lies’—> adjective has connotations of being destroyed and disintegrated. Also, the verb ‘lies’ indicates how his status has now collapsed and is no longer erect. This portrays how Ramesses’s power was fleeting and how his grandeur has now been reduced by the power of nature. This indicates how political resonance and authority is ephemeral.
- sibilance mimics the slow, soft sound of the status sinking into the sand. This may reinforces how Ozymandias’s presence is now half-remembered by history and is being slowly engulfed by nature.
4
Q
‘Who frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command tell that its sculptor well those passions read’
A
- ‘frown and wrinkled lip’ —> uses facial expressions to create the impression of arrogance and superiority over others. It portrays him as a contemptuous King whose ‘frown’ is an expression of egotistic displeasure towards his subjects. This shows the the arrogant nature of him as a despot.
- ‘sneer of cold command’ —> use of the adjective ‘cold’ —> creates imagery of being emotionally detached or cold-hearted. This along with ‘command’ reinforces his dictatorship as a repressing and controlling tyrant who held no care or passion for his subjects.
- ‘cold command’ —> the use of ‘c’ alliteration mimics the sound of velar stops. This creates a harsh sound reinforcing Ozymandias’s cruel nature.
- ‘sculptor well those passions read’ —> ‘sculptor’ reinforces the previous power that Ozymandias would have held. However, in ‘well those passions read’ it can imply that Ozymandias’s accurate portrayal in the status is more powerful than the memory of him. This reiterates the idea of him being a tyrannical and hostile leader and how this impression of him is what is remembered instead of his successes.
5
Q
‘Stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;’
A
- ‘stamped on these lifeless things’ —>
- ‘hand that mocked them’ —> use of synecdoche in ‘hand’ may be a reference not to Ozymandias but instead go his ‘hand’ where the verb ‘mocked’ may imply that the sculptor intended to mock Ozymandias and his power. This can perhaps imply that the representation of him is inauthentic and aims to subtly ridicule his self-centered nature as a despot.
- However, alternative intepretation —> ‘hand’ may also refer to the hand of nature which in this case is the hand of nature mocking Ozymandias’s power which is an illusion in comparison to the longevity of nature which has encompassed and overtaken his kingdom.
- ‘heart that fed’ —> uses metaphorical diction —> indicates the care and devotion that the sculptor has taken to successfully captivate the tyrannical emotions of Ramesses. However, since it is unclear, ‘heart that fed’ may also imply that Ozymandias’s ego was being fed by his power over his people.
6
Q
‘And on the pedestal these words appear:’
A
- ‘pedestal’ —> uses the noun to reflect his elevated status as a dominant king. This can suggest this authoritarian nature during his reign in the Egyptian empire. However, the physically elevated state of the status which is placed on a ‘pedestal’ can indicate the self-Centred nature of Ozymandias’s since he considered himself in high regards, as a result, he would have ordered to have the status built to indicate his over-arching power over others. This shows his pride.
7
Q
‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
A
- ‘my name is Ozymandias’ —> uses personal pronoun —> ‘my’ —> to create a strong sense of identity. This portrays ozymandias as the Center of conscience in the poem and links to Shelley’s style of polyphonic writing by introducing another poetic persona.
- ‘king of kings’ —> creates a sense of omniscience and superiority reinforcing Ozymandias’s excessive hubris and arrogance in himself compared to others.
- ‘king of kings’ —> create biblical connotations referring to Jesus Christ often in the bible. In this case, it is used by Ramesses to indicate his hubris since he defies himself as a god. This alludes to his pride and emphasises his belief in his own political grandeur and dictatorship.
- ‘look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’ —> ‘look’ in this —> functions as an imperative —> reinforces his commanding nature and authority. Also, in ‘look’ it indicates his pride within himself and conceit towards his achievements as a ruler. This creates political and social hubris in his successes.
- ‘despair’ —> functions as a verb —> reinforces his pride as he wants other rulers to feel regret that they are remembered as inferior to ramasses. However, ‘despair’ may also be a reminder that he caused ‘despair’ and distress towards his subjects.
Also, ‘despair’ also juxtaposes the idea of being ‘mighty’ hence creating ongoing conflict in the representation of Rama
8
Q
‘Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal wreck,’
A
‘Nothing besides remains’ —> ‘nothing’ —> uses this term to portray a lack of evidence of hi empire. This creates a negative diction to indicate how Ramasses power was fleeting and how his power has subsided as time has elapsed. Also, in the use of ‘.’ —> creates caesura indicating a sense of finality in his reign and reinforcing the idea that it has ended.
- ‘decay of that colossal wreck’ —> ‘decay’ —> uses the adjective to portray the erosive force of time and the collapse of Ozymandias’s empire. Similar to the way that his status is impermanent and has experienced ‘decay’, it mirrors the way that his empire and memory has become eroded and destroyed over time. Also, in ‘colossal’ to describe the ‘wreck’ —> on final reminder of the once majestic and vast glory of his memory, however, ‘wreck’, reinforces how the status has become fragmented and no longer has an identity similar to how Ozymandias no longer has a memorable identity. This reiterates his ephemeral existence.
9
Q
‘Boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.’.
A
- ‘boundless and bare’ —> can refer to the desert and how it has overtaken his empire leaving it now ‘bare’ and empty. However, in the adjective ‘boundless’ —> it creates paradoxical imagery implying that Ozymandias empire was once ‘boundless’ and plentiful, however, now it is described as ‘bare’. This indicates how it has been deconstructed over time. This reinforces the transience of his political regime.
- ‘lone and level sands stretch far away’ —> ‘lone’ —> adjective creates a solitary setting indicating how the remnants of his empire are isolated and separated from civilisation. This indicates how there is now no trace of his power. This ends in a pessimistic nature reinforcing the ephemeral nature of authority.
