Ozymandias Flashcards
What is Ozymandias about?
- Tells the tale of a statue in the desert that is now decrepit and delapidated but once was a statue of the great “Ozymandias”
- The statue is in the middle of the barren desert, with nothing around it for miles but boasts of it’s great empire, might & power
- Ozymandias’ statue serves a stark reminder to all that power is ephemeral (temporary) and that all empires must fall
- It criticises those who lust for power by portraying the memory of a once mighty king as now encapsulated by a broken monument
What is the contextual significance of Shelley’s ideologies?
- Shelley was also anti-monarchy and a pacifist (against war)
- “Ozymandias” can be seen as aimed at those in power, seeking to expose those who desire greatness & empires by showing the volatile nature of these things
What the contextual significance of the monarchy at the time of writing?
- King George III may be seen as being the inspiration for Ozymandias due to the excessive military conflicts & tyranny during his reign
What quote reflects the decay of power?
“Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair” to “nothing beside remains”
How does the quote “Look on my works…despair” reflect decay of power through inevitability?
- Dramatic irony -> “Look on my works” -> statue is situated in barren & featureless desert
- Imperative verb -> “despair” -> even after death Ozy sees himself worthy of commanding people -> irony that it is Ozy who despairs upon realisation that his works have not withstood the test of time
How does the quote “Look on my works..despair” reflect decay of power through eternity?
- Shelley uses bathos (anti-climax) to criticise the volatile nature of power
- Contrast between “works” of Ozy to the desolate desert shows how regardless of the magnitude of tyrannical power one holds, it is not sempiternal (forever-lasting)
What quote reflects the insignificance of pride?
“sneer[ing]” and “cold”
How do the quote[s] “sneer[ing]” and “cold” reflect the insignificance of pride through the personification of the statue?
- The description of the statue is constrasted
- The personification may be suggesting that despite all of Ozymandias’ opulence (great wealth) and might, the only sentiments that survive from his reign are damaging & destructive
- Shelley thusly berates (criticises) those in power for their beliefs that power would last forever
What quote reflects the power of nature?
“boundless and bare” and “lone and level”
How do the quote[s] “boundless and bare” and “lone and level” reflect the power of nature?
- Alliteration serving to emphasise the vast & mighty extent of nature
- Whereas the human sees his power eroded & chipped away by time, nature enjoys transcendent power, serving only to show the futility of human power
What are the two pieces of form used in the poem?
- Sonnet
- Iambic Pentameter
Why is the poem strucutured as a sonnet?
- Sonnet is a traditionally a way of writing love poems
- Therefore, by making the statue the focus of the poem, Shelley could be making it an object of love and respect
- This sentiment contrasts with the content of the poem, which in actuality ridicules the statue
How is the writer’s intention reflected through the sonnet form of the poem?
- Allows Shelley to simultaneously mock Ozy’s lack of love and respect, but to ridicule his excessive hubris that resulted in this infatuation & love with barbaric power
How does the sonnet form of the poem reflect change?
- The poem uses a blend of the Petrarchan (14 lines) and Shakespearean (irregular rhyme scheme) sonnet
- Shows how even old ideas, such as everlasting power, can be changed & evolved
What is iambic pentameter?
Each lines has ten syllables (daDUM x5, similar to a heartbeat)
