Ozymandius Flashcards
What is the rhyme scheme in Ozymandius?
Irregular
ABAB/CDE/DFDF/GDG
What effect does the rhyme scheme have on the reader?
The irregular rhyme scheme contrasts with the single stanza format as the former suggests a lack of power and control of “Ozymandias”, and the latter suggesting order. Reflects how different groups of people view war and conflict as either beneficial, or detrimental to society.
What form is the poem in?
Sonnet
What affect does the form have?
The sonnet form blends both Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets and Shelley does this to demonstrate to the reader that all power is transient, and can evolve.
However, the irregular rhyme scheme breaks away from sonnet form, enabling Shelley to imply how poetry and literature can defy tradition and give way to new power. This is typical for romantic poets who specifically focus on defying old ideas.
Good quotes for this poem
"boundless and bare" "lone and level sands" "look upon my works ... and despair" "I am Ozymandias, king of kings" "I once met a traveller"
Analysis of “boundless and bare”
Alliterative
Demonstrates the enormous power of the desert, while also contrasting and belittling the rather insignificant power of man. The statue can be seen as a representation of human history, a man’s attempt to evade death and become a permanent fixture in history, yet in the end, it is a futile attempt, as it lies broken on the floor.
Analysis of “lone and level sands”
Alliterative
“Level” - monotonous and featureless, with no sign of his legacy.
“Lone” - isolated, the statue is all that remains.
“Sands” - the literal sand has covered over Ozymandias, breaking him down over time, but also the figurative “sands of time” have covered over his memory, leaving him forgotten.
Analysis of “Look on my works ye mighty and despair”
Dramatic Irony
His works no longer exist, yet he references them.
Contrast of “ye mighty and despair”
Even the “mighty” who come to observe his works must “despair” at them.
What is the effect of the reported speech by Ozymandias?
The reported speech trivialises the reign of the great Ozymandias.
Why use Ozymandias?
Shelley used Ozymandias as an allegory for King George III, and also all figures of power, people who believe they are chosen by God, and yet, no longer are referenced, nor known by many people at all.
Why set it in the desert?
The desert is lifeless, featureless wasteland. This symbolises how pointless his reign was and how much he has been forgotten.
Analysis of “I met a traveller”
This instantly passes any responsibility of opinions presented in the poem away from himself to a stranger with no name and no face. This detached narrative distances himself from the political opinions of the poem, allowing Shelley to openly criticise those in power and the monarchy as he will continue to do so throughout the poem.
Affect of consonance
Repetition of the harsh “c” sound reflects the lack of compassion the King has for his people, and how oppressive his rule truly was.
Comparisons?
Ozymandias / The Prelude
Ozymandias / My Last Duchess
Comparisons of Ozymandias and My Last Duchess
Both poems suggest humanity’s pride and power is unfounded and transient. Ozymandias has a loss of power over time due to nature. MLD shows the Duke’s power undermined due to enjambment, caesura and single stanza.
In both poems the origin of pride is love for one’s power. Ozymandias has a sonnet structure, MLD loves his “nine-hundred year old name” and feels entitled as a result.
In each poem, the subject of oppression is different. MLD has the duchess, Ozymandias has the people underneath the King.
