Ozymandias Poetry Revision Grid PDF

Poem name and author name Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) Story of the poem (50 words The poem is about the discovery of a half-destroyed statue of Ramesses II max.) (aka. Ozymandias) and shows how power is temporary and vain using the...

Poem name and author name Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) Story of the poem (50 words The poem is about the discovery of a half-destroyed statue of Ramesses II max.) (aka. Ozymandias) and shows how power is temporary and vain using the statue as symbolism for his authority. Shelley also exposes the dangers of an individual having unlimited, dictatorial power, reflecting his anti-monarchy views. Messages/wider implications The major theme behind Ozymandias is that all power is temporary, no matter how prideful or tyrannical a ruler is. Ramesses II was one of the ancient world's most powerful rulers. He reigned as pharaoh for 66 years, led the Egyptians to numerous military victories, built massive monuments and temples, and accumulated huge stores of wealth. Throughout the poem, Ramesses' pride is evident, from the boastful inscription where he declares himself a "king of kings" to the "sneer of cold command" on his statue. However, Ozymandias makes it clear that every person, even the most powerful person in the land, will eventually be brought low—their name forgotten and monuments to their power buried in the sand. Although the poem only discusses Ozymandias, it implies that all rulers, dynasties, and political regimes will eventually crumble as well, as nothing can withstand time forever. At the time the poem was written, Napoleon had recently fallen from power and was living in exile, after years of ruling and invading much of Europe. His fate is not unlike Ozymandias'. When Ozymandias orders "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" he meant to make his rivals despair over his incredible power, but ironically he may have only caused them despair when they realized their ignominious end was as inevitable as his. Context Shelley was a radical, second-generation romantic poet; he was strongly What was the poet inspired by anti-monarchy, pacifist, atheist, anti-religion, and supported social justice. (precise details) and/or what He wanted to end the oppression of ordinary people, inspired by the French wider social messages might Revolution. He got expelled from Oxford University for publishing an atheist they be exploring? pamphlet and delivering it to religious figures, and at 19 got married after running off from his first wife who killed herself. He came from a very wealthy family and was set to have a comfortable life with inheritance and a government role from his grandfather. “Ozymandias”, the subject of the poem, refers to Ramesses II, an Egyptian pharaoh from 1279-1239 BC. At Shelley’s time of writing, the statue of Ozymandias had just been discovered, making it a topical piece of content to reference. Both Shelley and Horace Smith had been challenged to write a poem about it. King George III arguably had an impact on Shelley’s poem, as his poem was written during his reign. He had reigned longer than any king before but had outstayed his welcome. He engaged in many military conflicts and was remembered for oppression and tyranny, similar to Ozymandias, during his rule. Shelley was a pacifist and positioned himself against Georges’ military exploits, so some consider George III the inspiration for Ozymandias, who is seen historically as a tyrant. Figurative language in the ➔ “Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies,” (Line 4) poem + identify method + two ◆ Metaphor brief interpretations ◆ Irony ◆ Ozymandias believed so strongly in his own power and superiority and tried so hard to present this image of greatness through his statue, yet has now been forgotten and destroyed by time. ➔ “wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command” (Line 5) ◆ Metaphor ◆ Alliterative ◆ Imagery of grimacing in disgust and contempt  ◆ Highlights his cruel and exploitative nature ◆ Shows how power can turn one evil, as they become narcissistic and overly self-centred ➔ “boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away” (Lines 13-14) ◆ Alliteratives ◆ “lone” suggests isolation: Ozymandias’ statue is all that remains and his cruelty is the only remembrance. ◆ “level” connotes monotony and featurelessness in the landscape ◆ “sands” could be referring to the literal sand covering the statue and thus his glory, or the figurative “sands of time” that have hidden Ozymandias’ memory. ◆ “far away” reflects how his empire is now so insignificant and unrecognised that only travellers know that it exists, despite Ozymandias’ best efforts to expand his empire and extend his legacy. Structure of the poem (first and Rhythm: Iambic pentameter final line? Any significant Type: Sonnet repetition, refrain or patterns?) This poem is a sonnet, so is fourteen lines long and written in iambic pentameter. In particular, it uses elements of the Petrarchan sonnet, introducing a problem in the first eight lines (octet) and then resolving this problem in the final six (sestet). There is also an element of Shakespearean sonnets, as there is an ABAB rhyme scheme at the start of the poem. The changing uses of sonnet form from the ancient Petrarchan style to the more famous Shakespearean sonnet form and finally to a new, different type of sonnet at the end, with no dining rhyming couplet, reflects the way that power moves and changes hands, never staying in one place as Ozymandias thought it would. There is also an unusual rhyming scheme, following the pattern ABABA CDCEDEFE—most sonnets follow the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA and CDECDE or CDCDCD. Significant lines in the poem + ➔ “The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed;” methods + meanings ◆ Metaphor ◆ Double entendre ◆ One meaning may be that the artist’s work is literally mocking the king for his inability to see his subjects’ hatred and lack of respect for him, and overlooking of any evidence that contradicts his grandeur. ◆ The verb “mock’d” may alternatively be interpreted as meaning “made a model of”, to show how the sculptor has tried to portray the king in a positive light. ◆ It may not have been his intention to portray him negatively, as he had a “heart that fed” the king through its intention to please him, however it was inevitable that his cruelty would show, due to it being an innextricable part of him. ➔ “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” ◆ Dramatic irony ◆ Exclamation ◆ The King expects his empire and legacy to last, which is ironic as it clearly does not. ◆ His intention to make other leaders “despair” shows his cruelty and desire for overbearing power over everyone. Comparisons to other poems Tissue Name poems + thematic ○ Power of humans comparisons ○ Power of nature My Last Duchess ○ Pride and honour ○ Power of humans London ○ Power of humans ○ Power of nature