Ozymandias: Power, Corruption, and Nature

• The poem "Ozymandius" explores themes of human power and corruption, the power of nature, oppression and inequality, and memory and loss.

Background

• The poem is a sonnet, traditionally used for love poems, but Shelley uses it to show Ozymandias’ self-love.
• The irregular rhyme scheme demonstrates that established power structures can be changed.
• Ozymandius is another name for Ramses II, a powerful Egyptian pharaoh known for his military conquests.
• Key themes include the fleeting nature of human power and the conflict between human pride and time and nature.

Quotes

• "A traveller … who said"
  • The poem begins in first person but quickly shifts to another's voice, creating a detached narrator.
  • The detached narrator distances Shelley from repercussions and allows him to critique the monarchy from an anti-establishment viewpoint.
  • This poem is an allegory where Ozymandius represents King George III.
• “Shattered visage lies”
  • This phrase shows irony, as Ozymandius' power was rooted in his image of strength, the fragmented statue symbolizes a broken civilization reduced to sand.
• “Sneer of cold command”
  • Underlines Shelley’s pacifism, alluding to King George's disregard for soldiers.
  • Cruel features remain even after the statue's decay, underlining the monarchy’s cruelty.
• “My name is Ozymandius King of Kings”
  • Shelley uses the biblical phrase “King of Kings” to emphasise Ozymandius’ ego, who thinks of himself as greater than God.
  • The line has eleven syllables, while the others have ten because Ozymandius sees himself as more important than time.
• “Look on my works, Ye Mighty and despair”
  • The irony lies in the statue's ruined state, with Shelley suggesting that time and nature outlast human power.
  • The poem explores how time breaks down human works, especially power based on fear.
• “Nothing besides remains”
  • The shortest sentence represents the finality of death.
• “Boundless and bare”
  • In the desert setting, Shelley portrays nature’s infinite power.
  • Alliteration emphasises is used here, acting as a metaphor for the passing of time.
  • A powerful king’s words now have no meaning.
• “Its sculptor well those passions read”
  • His people perceived him clearly.