Ozymandias Flashcards
“vast” “trunkless” “stone”
emphasises the size and stature but also shows that the statue is incomplete
“stand in the desert”
the setting suggests an absence of life and vitality
“shatter’d visage”
ironic - even a powerful human can’t control the damaging effects of time
“survive” “lifeless”
having these words on the same line hints at how art can outlast human power, but the ruined statue shows that ultimately art can’t immortalise power
“the hand that mock’d them”
‘mock’ can mean to ridicule or to create a likeness of something - perhaps the sculptor intended his statue to make fun of Ozymandias
“king of kings” “ye mighty”
arrogant and powerful - he even challenged other rulers
“despair!”
irony - he tells other rulers to “despair” because of the size and grandeur of his “works”, but in fact they should despair because their power is temporary and ultimately unimportant, like his
“the decay of that colossal wreck”
the ruined statue shows how human achievements are insignificant compared to the passing of time
“boundless and bare” “lone and level”
alliteration - emphasises the feeling of empty space in the surrounding desert
“stretch far away”
the desert is vast and survives far longer than the broken statue, emphasising the insignificance of the statue and of Ozymandias
