Author
This poet, famous for his works on nature and rebellion, wrote Ozymandias in 1817.
Who is Percy Bysshe Shelley?
The inscription on the statue of Ozymandias, "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" highlights this theme, suggesting that even the most powerful rulers are subject to time.
What is the hubris or arrogance of power?
The line "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" is an example of this device, as the boast of Ozymandias stands in sharp contrast to the desolation around him.
What is irony?
The ruins of Ozymandias’s statue are found in this vast, barren landscape, which is often associated with timelessness and decay.
What is the desert?
This poet’s son, William, married the author of Frankenstein, creating a famous literary family.
Who is Mary Shelley?
The desert surrounding the ruins of Ozymandias’s statue underscores this theme, showing the inevitable decay of all human creations.
What is the transience of power?
Shelley uses this device when describing the shattered pieces of Ozymandias’s statue to emphasize the decay of time.
What is imagery?
The poem takes place in an unspecified "antique land," suggesting an ancient setting that has long been forgotten.
What is Egypt?
Percy Bysshe Shelley often addressed issues like tyranny and social injustice in his poems, aiming to do this.
What is reform the world?
The poem reflects a deeper commentary on the futility of boasting and pride, a common theme in literature that often points to the limits of human ambition.
What is the futility of human pride?
The phrase "nothing beside remains" highlights this device, drawing attention to the emptiness of Ozymandias’s once-mighty empire.
What is alliteration?
In the poem, the "boundless and bare" stretch of land surrounding the ruins reflects this concept, often associated with solitude and emptiness.
What is desolation?
Born on August 4, 1792, in Horsham, United Kingdom, this poet is best known for his works like Ozymandias and Ode to the West Wind.
Who is Percy Bysshe Shelley?
In Ozymandias, the fallen statue and the lack of civilization around it convey this recurring theme, present in many works of the Romantic era.
What is the power of nature over human endeavor?
The poem is structured as a sonnet, a form that consists of 14 lines, typically written in this meter.
What is iambic pentameter?
This setting in Ozymandias serves as a symbol for the eternal power of nature, which contrasts with the fleeting nature of human civilization.
What is the desert?