Ozymandius Flashcards
What is the context of Ozymandius
Shelley often focused ont he subjective and emotional which contrasted with enlightenment values. During the enlightenment writers would center their work on the beauty of nature and simplicity of the past with an appreciation of the sublime the overwhelming power and awe of the natural world.
There was a rejection of institutions of power and poetry was used to spread messages and political ideas which needed to be accessible to all
What is the historical influence of the poem
The first reference is Ramesses II who was an Egyptian pharaoh. He was later defeated by the 12 tribes of Israel and used the throne name “ozymandius”.
Remembered for his reign of tyranny and military exploits
What is the perspective of ozymandius
The poem is written from the first person perspective however the speaker is never revealed nor named nor assigned any identifying characteristics. In this respect he can be considered an omniscient speaker
What is the structure of ozymandius
The irregular rhyme scheme contrasts with the single stanza as the former suggests a lack of power and control of the ruler whereas the single stanza suffers order. These contrasts could reflect how different groups of people view war and conflict as either beneficial or detrimental to society
The poem blends Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets and shelled does this in order to demonstrate that all power is transient and subject to evolution. The poem takes the traditional 14 lines and octet-Volta-sestet structure of Petrarchan sonnet
Whereas the irregular rhyme scheme is closer to ABAB CDCD EFEF GG typical of Shakespearean sonnets plus it uses the constant Iambic pentamètre
Structure of ozymandius (2)
The irregular rhyme scheme breaks away from the sonnet form enabling Shelley to imply how poetry and literature can defy tradition and give way to new power. He’s directly demonstrating that conventions can be changed, replaced and edited.
Sonnets are traditionally love poems and by Shelley selecting to make the statue the focus of the poem it could be argued that he’s making this an object of love and respect.
“I met a traveller from an antique land”
Instantly passes any responsibility for the opinions within the poem onto a stranger. Shelley opens his poem with the detached narrative of a traveller to distance himself from the political messages of the poem
Uses ozymandius as an allegory for king George III. This shows readers that he’s willing to risk criticism. This detachment means Shelley is free to comment on the monarchy or religion as he wishes for the rest of the poem because the views expressed are being presented as the views of someone else
Equally having the power communicated by reported speech serves to trivialise the reign of ozymandius
The pronoun “I” is only used once at the start showing how little perspective matters. This may be intentional to disconnect the speaker from Shelley as he was attempting to impart a political message through his work.
“I met a traveller from an antique land” (2)
The legacy of Egypt is so insignificant it is only known by travellers and the failure to try to increase influence
“Shattered visage”
The image of a shattered visage creates a sense of irony. The poem portrays a king who believed so strongly in his own power and superiority and who tried so hard to present this image of greatness through his statue. Yet this statue has now been forgotten and destroyed by time. Therefore the visage of power that he wore during his reign was a little more than a mask for the true vulnerability of his authority
The transient and insignificant nature of human power is a key message in Shelley’s poem since it was this power that he wanted to reform and reassign in order to better structure a corrupt, industrialising society
“A sneer of cold command”
Consonance-the repetition of the harsh “c” sounds help to reflect the callous lack of compassion the king had for his subjects and how oppressive his rule was. This sound bleeds into the readers perception of the king helping to portray him as aggressive and tyrannical and also connotes cruelty and aggression. This shows Shelley’s disapproval of military campaigns
The consonance also suggests a use of power for military aims (Ramesses II was remembered for his military expansion of Egypt) without any interference from empathy or compassion. This is reflective of Shelley’s own anti violence stance as he was against all military exploits and thus also against the “cold commands” that initiate them
“A sneer of cold command” 2
Overall shelley is criticising power. There is a negative semantic field surrounding the heme including the language “sneer” “frown” “wrinkled”. It could be argued his aim was to make the reader more receptive to ideas about corruption of power when paired with a negative tone
The king is confident that the legacy of his power will remain throughout history and his confidence makes him commemorate himself in statue. The statue however and his legacy is destroyed. Shelley’s use of dramatic irony shows the statue had been broken and forgotten with his legacy and empire having been reduced to sand
How was nature used in ozymandius
Shelley used alliteration to demonstrate the vast, unending power of the desert and to contrast and belittle the power of man. The statue can be seen as a representation of human power- its a kings attempt to evade death and cement himself in history yet it lies broken as a “colossal wreck”. The statue is stripped of all power as it lies broken o the floor her the desert around remains endless and overwhelming in size
Shelley describes it as “boundless and bare” and “lone and level”’and this use of alliteration serves to communicate the vast powerful extent of nature and its ability to outlive all other forms of power and deem them insignificant by comparison
Also works to present the desert as monotonous, featureless and isolated
How is nature used in ozymandius (2)
Use of the desert setting also strips ozymandius Of his legacy. The land surrounding the plaque that boasts of his works is a barren, featureless wasteland devoid of any culture or life
The emptiness of the desert is symbolic of how his reign was pointless and trivial as he’s been forgotten by history. Instead he’s been dwarfed by the greater forces of nature and time. Ozymandius has no legacy despite his orders to “look on my works”-they no longer exist
This has contextual irony
How is nature used in ozymandius (3)
Sand is often associated with time. Within the poem Shelley used sand to show how time can erase the power of man. The sand has literally covered over ozymandius statue- the figurative “sands of time” have covered over ozymandius memory. This shows the reader that regardless of how powerful man becomes, nature will always prevail. It also shows that everything comes from the earth and everything will return to it
