Ozymandias

Percy Bysshe Shelley

‘Ozymandias’, a sonnet , written in 1817, is a remarkable for its simplicity and suggestiveness.

Shelley describes the dilapidated state of a statue that proves the veracity of Shakespeare’s view.

INTRODUCTION OF POEM

Unlike Shelley had followed stylistically the traditional structure of Italian sonnet featuring an opening octave- a set of eight lines that present a conflict or dilemma, followed by a sestet- a set of six lines that offers a commentary upon the situation introduced.

PERCY BYSHEE SHELLEY

About the Poet

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was eldest son of Timothy Shelley, a wealthy landowner.

He was born on August 4, 1792, at Field Place near Horsham , Sussex.

As a child he was highly imaginative, active and mischievous.

He received his education first at Eton and then at Oxford.

Shelley’s genius as a poet was essentially lyrical.

Prometheus Unbound, The Cenci, Ode to Liberty, Epipsychidion, Adonis, To a Skylark and Ode to the West Wind are other famous works of Shelley.

I met an traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies

Stanza 1

Words and Phrases • Antique : ancient• Vast : huge • Trunkless : without the upper body• Visage : face

Paraphrase of Stanza 1

The poet met an traveller who came from an ancient land. The traveller told him that he saw two trunkless huge legs of stone standing in the desert. Near those legs, he saw a half sunk and broken face lying on the sand.

whose frownAnd wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command’Tell that its sculpture well those passion read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless thingThe hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed

Stanza 2

Words and Phrases

• Sculpture : the one who had made the statue• Stamped : carved • Sneer : facial expression of scorn or hostility• Read : studied or understood the facial

expression and planned it in sculpture• Cold Command : feeling less mastery• The Heart that Fed : feelings that

Ozymandias face displayed.

Paraphrase of Stanza 2

The sculptor has captured the king’s scornful, inhospitable and cold expression with a great precision. The king, his kingdom, power and power, all had passed but that dispassionated expression was still retained in this work of art. This expression highlights the sculptor’s skill and mocked at the king’s lack of foresight.

And on pedestal these words appear:“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look upon my work, ye Mighty, and despair ! ” Nothing besides remain. Round the decay

Of those colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away.

Stanza 3

Words and Phrases

• Ye : you• Colossal : huge• Boundless : endless • Level : flat• Pedestal : base• Decay : gradual destruction

Paraphrase of Stanza 2

The traveller further informed that inscription on pedestal described arrogant Ozymandia’s claim of being the mightiest of mighty. He challenged the powerful kings to look at his powers, position and status and feel dejected at discovering they were no match to this ‘king of kings’.

Apart from the broken remains of the massive statue’ there was not even a faint trace of anything to prove Ozymandia’s greatness. Time had wiped out all that this arrogant king was proud of. Right now as far as the eyes can see there is an expansive stretch of sand spanning the entire desert in its solitude.

The poem brings out the ephemerality of the statues and sculptures that the rich and mighty get carved out to immortalize themselves. The power and money of these arrogant people however fails to perpetuate their fame and name. The time wipes out their names from the face of the earth and their statues are torn down. The pride and arrogance of these so called ‘mighty’ is mocked at by the shattered fragments of their statues that lie neglected and half buried here and there in desert.

Theme

The poem brings out the transience of man and his foolish urge to immortalize his name. Man is too feeble to withstand the ravages of time. Hence wisdom lies in leading a modest and unpretentious life and later on withdrawing from the world with sense of resignation.

Moral

Literary Devices Used

Alliteration ( It is the repetition of constant sounds )Example:sneer of cold commandsurvive, stamped boundless and bare

Some Extra Questions and

AnswersFrom

Class X Literature Reader Poem 5

Ozymandias

Bring out the irony of the poem ?

Ozymandias had built a colossal statue of himself to intimidate and humiliate his fellow kings and to impress them with his glorious splendour. His words challenged the mighty kings. However, time devoured all his grandeur and magnificence and the very icon of his majestic glory lay half buried in the sand. Today his ostentatious challenge to all his fellow kings sounds so hollow and the inscription on the pedestal with the trunkless legs ironically mocks at his ludicrous claim to power and might. It is foolish on the part of Man that his ‘glorious achievement’ would survive the onslaught of time !!!

What impression of Ozymandias is formed after reading this sonnet ?

Ozymandias was the man who was drunk with power, pelf and authority. He had nothing but contempt for others. He claimed himself to be ‘king of kings’. He was mighty proud of his great work and wonderful achievements. He threw challenge to all mighty and powerful persons of the world to compare themselves with him, so that they could be overawed by his great deeds and works, and would feel so insignificant and be in great despair.

Where has gone all the pride, power and pelf that Ozymandias was proud of ?

The ravages of time have destroyed Ozymandias’ dream to overawe humanity with his power, authority, glory and grandeur. The statue and the face of ‘king of kings’ lie shattered and sunk in sand of the desert. Time and agents of destruction have reduced him to dust. Nothing had=s remained of his glory, only boundless and bare sand is spreading all around his broken statue in the desert.

Made ByAakanksha Lolusare Of Class : X B

Kendriya VidyalayaSector 12 , Dwarka

New Delhi

English Project

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