Poetry - Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly Flashcards
Give context for ‘Ozymandias’
- Shelly is a famous romantic poet
- He was strongly anti-monarchy, a pacifist, an atheist, anti-religion and supported social justice
- (Romantic era) Writers would protest the present/future of mankind and centre their work on the beauty of nature and appreciation of the sublime
What were some historical influences for ‘Ozymandias’
- Ramesses II was a Egyptian pharaoh and was defeated by 12 tribes of Israel, and used the throne name ‘Ozymandias’. His statue had just discovered at the time of the poem
- King George III was reigning at the time of the poem. He was remembered for oppression and tyranny and Shelly was against Georges’ military exploits. George could be the inspiration for Ozymandias
What is the perspective in ‘Ozymandias’?
- First person perspective
- The pronoun ‘I’ is only used once, at the start, showing how little perspective matters
- This disconnects the speaker from Shelly as he could’ve been trying to impart a political message through his work but disguising it as a message from a fictional character
Describe the opening of ‘Ozymandias’
- Begins with ‘I met a traveller… Who said’, which instantly passes any responsibility in the poem to a stranger
- This detachment mean Shelly is free to comment on the monarchy or religion (Ozymandias is an allegory for King George III) as they aren’t presented as his own
Describe the irregular rhyming scheme and sonnet forms
- This fragmented structures reflects the king’s ‘shattered’ power
- Shows how temporary and breakable human structures and creations are
- This rebellious mixing of different sonnet form echoes the seditious nature of Shelley’s comments on political authority
Where does the poem break iambic pentameter and describe it
- Line 10 (Ozymandias’ voice)
- Reflects the king’s belief that he is above order and law
Describe enjambment and caesura is ‘Ozymandias
- Use of both throughout contributes to a sense of fragmentation
- Mirrors the broken stature and the way Ozymandias’ power has crumbled
How is the statue in ‘Ozymandias’ used to create irony?
- He commissioned the statue to make sure he was immortalised in people’s memories, but is surrounded by a “boundless and bare” desert, seen by none
- Those that do see him are reminded of how his power crumbled, just like his statue
How is the second hand account of ‘Ozymandias’ used to create irony?
- The speaker is telling a story that was told to him, showing that speaker has not seen the statue for himself
- Highlights how insignificant Ozymandias has now become and how few have seen the stature he created to me immortalised
How is the sonnet form used to create irony?
- As it is 14 lines long and is mainly in iambic pentameter, it is a sonnet
- Sonnets are traditionally love poems, pointing to Ozymandias’ love for him self and his ego
What are the techniques used to emphasis the ephemeral (temporary) nature of Ozymandias’ power and describe them
- The juxtaposition of “colossal” and “wreck” emphasises the contrast between his former power and his current state
- The ruined statue is a metaphor for political power, just as the face of the statue is “shattered”, “decay(ed)” and a “wreck” so too is Ozymandias’ power
- The caesura after “remains” highlights how Ozymandias’ power has come to an end
What techniques are used to negatively portray Ozymandias and describe them
- The use of sound in the poem contributes to the speakers’ distaste to Ozymandias, the alliteration of the harsh ‘c’ and ‘b’ sound in “cold command” and “boundless and bare”
- Pessimistic language like “frown”, “sneer”, “wrinkled, “stamped” reflects the poet’s own feelings towards the king those who rule in a manner
What techniques are used to characterise Ozymandias as arrogant and proud and describe them
- The repetition of “king” in “kings of kings” shows how Ozymandias wished to portray himself as omnipotent, suggesting he is trying to deify himself and wants to be worshipped as one
- The imperative verb “look” indicates how controlling he was
Give quotes used to describe the statue
- “Vast and trunkless legs of stone”
- “Half sunk”
- “Shattered visage”
Give a quote used to describe Ozymandias’ arrogance
“My name is Ozymandias, kings of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
