Analyzing the Spectrum of Ozymandias Essay

Shelley’s poem and depiction of Ozymandias could be a symbolic way of promoting his views against the monarchy, as he depicts Ozymandias as a tyrant with harsh descriptions such as “a sneer of cold command” and mocks him with the juxtaposition of “king of kings” and “colossal wreck”. However, instead of obviously putting forward his views and risking negative exposure, Shelley distances himself from the poem with intriguing use of multiple perspectives. The poem begins with “I met”, a first person introduction, but quickly switches to the traveller’s perspective as Shelley depicts what the traveller saw. In this way, he subtly puts across his socialist views without incriminating himself through symbolism and distancing himself from the narrative. In this way, the poem presents two powerful rulers, with Ozymandias symbolising King George.

In Ozymandias, the narrator speaks of an “antique land” that he’s travelled to and comes across a statue which is the King Ozymandias (who is the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.) The structure of the poem is written in an petrarchan

The author uses imagery in the poem to enable the reader to see what the speaker sees. For example, in lines 4-11 the speaker describes to us the

The immense mountains and precipices that overhung me on every side, the sound of the river raging among the rocks, and the dashing of the waterfalls around spoke of a power mighty as Omnipotence- and I ceased to fear or to bend before any being less almighty than that which had created and ruled the elements, here displayed in their most terrific guise.” Shelley's style is typical of the Romantic Period, much like the style of her husband and the other major Romantic poets. She uses elevated language and puts a lot of emphasis on the spiritual aspect of nature.

to lend meaning to the poem beyond its existence as a work of historic fiction

“Ozymandias”, “To Autumn”, and “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” all are widely-read poems written by the Romantic poets Shelley, Keats, and Wordsworth, respectively. In all of these poems, the passage of time inexorably leads to the death of man-made creations. Also, natural emotions and living things experience the cycle of life and death, but escape the permanent death experienced by unnatural things. In short, man-made things are impermanent, while natural things are immortal.

This shows that meteorological conditions are able to affect a character’s thoughts and alter their feelings. As has been noted, Shelley accentuates the description of spring to express the hope and renewal bestowed upon the creature by the exemplifications of the weather.

In the poem Percy Bysshe Shelley “Ozymandias” there are several different sound devices portrayed. The author demonstrates use of rhyme and meter. In the beginning of the poem the author used rhyming words to give a description of the mans journey through the dessert, and informing that he found a statue. It states, " Two vast and trunk less legs of stone stand in the dessert." Although, the statue is destroyed and seems to be smashed, considering the 2 legs. Towards the end of the poem the author demonstrates irony, when it says," a colossal wreck, boundless and bare." It was once said to be mighty and powerful, but reveals there is nothing but sand on the desert. "Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things" references that the

The poem "Ozymandias" is one of the best sonnets of Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this poem Shelley described a mighty king who was striving in his whole life for his possessions and got involved in worldly assignments so much that he forgot his ultimate destiny. Beside this, Shelley reminds the readers of their mortality through the realization that our earthly accomplishments, so important to us now, will one day be finished. By drawing these vivid and ironic pictures in readers minds, with different symbols, Shelley was trying to illustrate that no one lives forever in the

Despite this, Shelley creates a natural flow throughout, yet there is a clear distinction between each changing perspective. For example, the narrative seamlessly switches from Walton’s letters to Victor’s account: “Strange and harrowing must be his story… thus!” Through Victor’s story, she moves us on to the creature’s direct dialogue by using speech marks at the beginning of each paragraph: “he thus begins his tale.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote this poem "Ozymandias" to express to us that possessions do not mean immortality. He used very strong imagery and irony to get his point across throughout the poem. In drawing these vivid and ironic pictures in our minds, Shelley was trying to explain that no one lives forever, and nor do their possessions. Shelley expresses this poem’s moral through a vivid and ironic picture. A shattered stone statue with only the legs and head remaining, standing in the desert, the face is proud and arrogant, "Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read"(lines, 4-6).

The poem “Ozymandias” is considered one of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s best sonnets. It was written in 1817 and is still recognized today as its meaning still holds true. “Ozymandias” illustrates the fall of power and mortality through a once powerful king. This is shown through the pride of the king, the tyranny that the king ruled by, and the transience of his ruling and empire.

By calling himself “king of kings”, he alludes to God and believes he is greater than all other men. He ruled his kingdom solely on the fear of those beneath him. The intimidating language on the pedestal and the statue made for him display that Ozymandias possessed almighty power. To end the poem, Shelley writes, “Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The line and level sands stretch far away.” As time passed, the sand literally destroyed the symbol of what was once the greatest man alive.