Ozymandias Flashcards
(5 cards)
1
Q
Who wrote it?
A
Percy Bysshe Shelley
2
Q
What is the poem about?
A
- a warning to rulers who believe they are all-powerful
- traveller describes a statue which depicted a cruel, arrogant leader
- now, the statue is broken and eroded by nature and shows how man’s claims of power are ridiculous in the face of nature and time
3
Q
Context
A
- British Museum secured a large fragment of the stature of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II
- Shelley was a Romantic poet believed in the power of nature over man and would have been opposed to Royalty and those with power
4
Q
How is power presented?
A
- exposes how transient human power is, time diminishes human power
- mocks the idea of people believing that their power is permanent
- artistic power is everlasting, reflecting Shelley’s Romantic views
5
Q
A
