“Ozymandias” is a sonnet composed by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. Written as part of a friendly poetry contest, Shelley published it in 1818 under the pen name Glirastes in The Examiner. The title refers to an alternate name for the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, and the poem serves to depict the fleeting nature of political power while praising art's capacity to immortalize the past. Breaking from traditional sonnet form and rhyme scheme, the poem reflects Shelley’s inclination to challenge conventions in both politics and poetry.
Ozymandias Poem
BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEYI met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Ozymandias Summary
The poem's speaker encounters a traveller from an ancient land who describes the remains of a colossal statue in the desert. The statue consists of two large stone legs without a connecting torso, and nearby lies the fragmented face with a scornful expression—capturing the emotions of the subject in enduring stone. The sculptor skillfully recreated the subject's feelings, almost mocking the subject's cruelty in the process. The pedestal bears an inscription proclaiming the might of Ozymandias, the King of Kings, boasting of his accomplishments and challenging powerful onlookers to despair at his superiority. The surroundings reveal an endless barren desert, emphasizing the transience of grandeur.
Summary Table of "Ozymandias"
- Written in: 1817
- Written by: Percy Bysshe Shelley (1757-1827)
- Meter: Iambic pentameter
- Rhyme scheme: ABABACDCEDEFEF
- Literary device: Frame narrative
- Poetic device: Alliteration, enjambment
- Frequently noted imagery: Broken remains of a Pharaoh’s statue; desert
- Tone: Ironic, declamatory
- Key themes: Mortality and passage of time; the transience of power
- Meaning: The speaker describes the transience of power through a ruined statue in the desert. Despite the inscription proclaiming omnipotence, the statue has no relevance in the present, highlighting the fleeting nature of power.
‘Ozymandias’: Historical Context
The year Shelley wrote ‘Ozymandias’ coincided with the excitement surrounding the British Museum's acquisition of ancient relics from Egypt by Giovanni Belzoni, including a statue of Ramesses II. The public's interest in Ancient Egypt was growing, prompting a friendly poetic contest on the theme of Ozymandias between Shelley and his friend Horace Smith.
Shelley, captivated by the colossal emblem of power discovered in Egypt, participated in the competition during the winter of 1817. The opening line, 'I met a traveller from an antique land,' raises questions about the identity of the traveller and whether Shelley met Belzoni. While there is no evidence of a meeting, Shelley's imaginative spirit may have fueled the desire for such an encounter.
Literary Context
Shelley's poem draws inspiration from various sources, including the description of the statue by the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus Siculus' account and Shelley's paraphrasing suggest a classical influence. Travel books like Pococke’s Description of the East (1743) and Savary’s Letters on Egypt (1787) also provided insights into Ozymandias.
Notably, Walter Coulson, an editor of 'The Traveller,' visited the Shelleys in 1817. It remains uncertain whether Coulson brought news of Belzoni's discoveries or if he was the inspiration for 'the traveller' in Shelley's poem. The blending of various sources in Shelley's imagination adds intrigue to the poem's creation.
Line by Line Explanation - ‘Ozymandias’
Line 1: The speaker, likely Percy Bysshe Shelley, recounts meeting a traveler from an ancient land, hinting at Egypt as the location.
Lines 2-4: The traveler describes a statue in the desert with two vast stone legs and a shattered visage. The face portrays a frown and a wrinkled lip, reflecting the ruler's cold command and passions.
Lines 5-8: The sculptor skillfully captured the ruler's emotions, and the passions survive in the lifeless statue. The hands that mocked and the heart that fed indicate a complex character. The eternal nature of art is emphasized.
Lines 9-14: The pedestal bears an inscription proclaiming the ruler's greatness as Ozymandias, King of Kings, urging others to despair at his works. The concluding lines reveal the irony as the once-mighty civilization lies in decay, with only a colossal wreck and endless, barren sands remaining.
Critical Analysis of 'Ozymandias'by Shelley
'Ozymandias' is a 14-line sonnet composed in 1817 by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a British Romantic poet known for his association with radical social and political change.
Shelley led a tumultuous, nomadic life, marked by his dedication to producing poetry and pamphlets. His marriage to Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, daughter of philosopher William Godwin, and his European escapades, including time with Lord Byron, are noteworthy episodes.
Tragically, Shelley's life was cut short at 29 when his boat sank in a storm in the Gulf of Spezia, Italy. Despite being mourned by close friends, his radical views left him unsupported in England, where he was perceived as an agitator due to his atheism, pacifism, and vegetarianism.
Shelley's diverse poetry, ranging from nature-focused pieces like 'To a Skylark' and 'The Flower That Smiles Today' to political works like 'England' (1819), continues to endure.
'Ozymandias' is inherently political, crafted during the decline of Napoleon's rule and the ascendancy of the British Empire. The poem metaphorically conveys the inevitable downfall of tyrannical power, emphasizing that no leader, be it king or despot, can withstand the relentless passage of time. The sonnet paints a vivid portrayal of an egotistical ruler who, despite considering himself unrivaled, was harsh and cruel to his subjects.
Major Themes in Ozymandias by Shelley
Theme: The Fleeting Nature of Authority
Theme: The Enduring Impact of Art
Theme: Humanity's Subservience to Nature
Theme: The Deceptive Nature of Power
Theme: The Vastness of the Natural World
Share Your Thoughts
Feel free to share your insights on these themes in the comments below, contributing to a deeper understanding of the profound messages embedded in "Ozymandias."
Symbolism in Ozymandias
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, “Ozymandias,” intricately weaves symbolism into its verses, offering a profound exploration of human ambition, the passage of time, and the ephemeral nature of power.
Major Points
Conclusion
Shelley masterfully employs symbolism in “Ozymandias,” inviting readers to ponder the deeper meanings behind the shattered statue, the desolate desert, and the inscription, ultimately prompting contemplation on the nature of human legacy and the passage of time.
Form and Literary Devices Used
Shelley uses the first person pronoun "I" to begin his sonnet then cleverly switches the focus to a third person, a traveler, whose words are contained in the remaining thirteen lines. This was highly unusual for a sonnet at the time and reflects the poet's innovative thinking.
The reader is effectively listening in to a conversation between two people, one recently returned from a journey through an ancient country. It is this person's narrative that describes the huge statue in the sands of the desert, a former monument of a great leader, now in pieces and forgotten.
Imagery
Shelley's evocative language creates some very powerful images. From the second line on the reader is painted a vivid picture with words such as vast and trunkless..half sunk...shattered visage...frown and wrinkled lip...sneer of cold command...this is a pretty damning description of Ozymandias (Greek name for an Egyptian pharaoh called Rameses II, 1300BCE) and reflects Shelley's own thoughts on those who crave and wield power.
The words written on the pedestal, the stand that once held the statue, now seem meaningless and rhetorical; it's the statement of an arrogant despot.
This broken, weathered statue lies in a desert, a desolate place that goes on for miles and miles. Not many people pass through that desert, or would want to, in contrast with the past. A once great leader has been left to history and will be buried in the sand in time.
Form
Shelley's sonnet is a bit of a twist on the traditional form. It does have 14 lines and is mostly iambic pentameter, but the rhyme scheme is different, being ababacdcedefef which reflects an unorthodox approach to the subject.
It's not a Shakespearean sonnet, nor is it a Petrarchan - the poet made certain of its individuality by choosing not to introduce a 'turn' after the second quatrain. Instead there is a simple shift of emphasis, the narrator sharing the words on the pedestal that are in effect, the words of the fallen leader.
Alliteration
The occasional use of alliteration reinforces certain words, helping the reader to focus:
legs of stone/Stand (lines 2-3)
sneer of cold command, (line 5)
boundless and bare (line 13)
The lone and level sands stretch (line 14)
The full rhymes and slant rhymes of the short vowel a are also an important factor in the overall sound of this sonnet. Take note of their prevalence:
antique/land/vast/stand/sand/shattered/command/passions/stamped/hand/and/Ozymandias/sands.
What this does is produce a harsh almost cutting edge to some lines which is offset by the regular use of punctuation, causing the reader to pause. For example, in lines 3-5 :
Stand in the desert...Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
So whilst the regular rhythm persists, the pauses, punctuation and enjambment help vary the pace and bring interest for the reader and listener. The mysterious ending adds to the atmosphere - all that history, the works, the dreams of a people, the fall of a once great empire.
Metre of the Poem
'Ozymandias' has a basic iambic pentameter beat, that is, iambic feet are in the majority for most lines, the familiar daDUM stresses in control, first syllable unstressed, second stressed.
But there are variations on this theme and some lines break with this regular pattern. The syntax too helps vary the pace and the way in which clauses are read. Syntax is the joining of clauses with grammar to form the whole.
Let's look at the opening two lines:
I met / a trave / ller from / an an / tique land,
Who said: / Two vast / and trunk / less legs / of stone
The iambic feet dominate in both lines but note the first line has a pyrrhic (dadum....no stresses) midway, whilst the second line starts with the spondee (two stressed syllables).
And the lines ten and eleven, the quote:
"My name / is Ozy / mandi / as, King / of Kings;
Look on / my works, / ye Migh / ty, and / despair!"
The tenth line has eleven syllables, the second foot having three syllables making this an amphibrach (daDUMda). The rest are iambs.
The eleventh line starts with a trochee (DUMda), followed by a double-stressed spondee, bringing energy and emphasis. A softer pyrrhic is sandwiched between iambs.
Overall, the metrical rhythm is broken up by Shelley's use of caesurae (punctuation midline) and astute use of enjambment, when a line carries on into the next without punctuation. The syntax is fascinating, the first eleven lines a single sentence, so only one definite stop for the reader. Two 'clear' lines, the first and last are without pause.
More Analysis of the Poem
Ozymandias is a commentary on the ephemeral nature of absolute political power. Monarchs and dictators and tyrants are all subject to change sooner or later - and Shelley's language reflects his dislike for such rulers.
Note the use of sunk/ shattered/ sneer of cold command/ lifeless/ mocked/ fed/ decay/ bare/ lone....words that seek to undermine those in positions of privilege and power.
What is clear is the contempt held for the arrogance of this ruler Ozymandias, for his hand mocked and his greedy heart fed on the people, and only the sculptor's great skill remains to record these things.
The inscription further reinforces the idea that this once all-powerful leader thought greatly of himself, building up his ego by declaring he is king of kings no less. Surely no one could surpass his greatness?
Shelley's use of despair puts everything into perspective. Ozymandias thought himself so Mighty that even others who claimed their works were mighty would pale into insignificance. To contest this claim would be their ruin.
The mightier they are, the heavier they fall seems to be a part of Shelley's message.
Written in 1817, Shelley no doubt had opinions on the state of Britain and Europe at that time and Ozymandias could well have been influenced by the life of one Napoleon Bonaparte, the would-be Emperor of all Europe and beyond. He had invaded Egypt a few years earlier and fought with the British to keep control of the Nile and its lands. Napoleon eventually lost out and was exiled to a distant island, St Helena, where he died in 1821.
Ozymandias stands the test of time and is relevant for this and every other age. Dictators, despots and others who abuse their absolute power will fall foul of events eventually.
Shelley's choice of a sonnet within which to work his words is fascinating, for the sonnet is a tight, packed field of regularity. It is the traditional form for the expression of love. So did the sonnet form appeal because he wanted to invert the notion of love for someone?
Reading Ozymandias satisfactorily is a challenge - there are three voices, the original "I", the traveler and the voice of Ozymandias himself. What makes the whole so successful is the way the poet has seamlessly woven all three together, the final image of the distant, endless sands contrasting powerfully with the now hollow words of Ozymandias.
