LC 5.02: "Ozymandias"

What is his life range?

(1792-1822)

What will eventually happen to the statue of Ozymandias?

It will be worn away by the elements of the desert. With enough time, the statue will disappear completely until only "[t]he lone and level sands stretch far away."

Based on the words inscribed on the statue, what words might describe the "King of Kings" when he was living?

Based on the description, Ozymandias was probably a proud, commanding, powerful, and cold- hearted ruler.

How did he die?

He drowned at a young age of 30 from a boating accident.

how does Shelley cohere the meaning of the statue?

He merely uses the various perspectives on the statue's words to make his point clear.

How tall was the statue in real life?

In its prime, the real statue measured 56 feet long and weighed 1,000 tons. Just one ear of the statue was 3 1/2 feet long!

What was Ozymandias's original message?

King of Kings, Works, and ye Might, shows that the king was mighty and should be feared.

What does the statue symbolize?

Originally it symbolizes strength and power, but later it symbolizes the decay of all things.

How does alliteration help convey meaning and imaginary?

The alliteration draws readers attention to this image of the bare sands stretching into nothingness. The language helps give a sense of the wide expanse and the vastness of time into which all things eventually fall.

The sculptors perspective:

The sculptor is of Ozymandias's time. He sees Ozymandias and shapes his words into stone. His perceptions of the King of Kings are hinted at: "its sculptor well those passions read, frown, / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command." Perhaps the sculptor's view reflects the voice of many of the king's subjects—those who might have been victims of his cold, sneering power.

Does the sculptor of the statue speak solely for himself or might his art represent the thoughts of others? If so, whose perspectives might be included?

The sculptor was alive when Ozymandias was a great ruler, and his perspective probably includes his own perceptions as well as the perceptions of the king's subjects. To some of those subjects, Ozymandias may have been a great hero; to others, he may have been a cruel oppressor.

The readers perspective:

The speaker mediates the story to the reader. It is only the readers—you!— who get the "full story" because you know the perspectives of all the others. The reader can compare all these viewpoints with her own knowledge.

The travelers perspective:

The traveler reads of this story on the statue and perceives it with his own knowledge of history. Thousands of years have passed since the statue was built.

The speakers perspective:

The traveler tells his story to the speaker, who hears the tale and reflects on it within a larger context of history; and he can retell it to others now because the poem is recorded.

What has the message come to mean through the retelling of the story and the multiple perspectives?

The words Looks and Despair show that humans are but dust; all their works eventually perish and fade.

complementary

a descriptive spoken account (especially on a broadcast) of an event or performance as it happens.

alliteration

the repetition of consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables.

In the poem, the speaker creates a vivid picture of the physical statue.

"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, vs decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away." Note the contrast between the very human characteristics the statue depicts and the lifeless decay of its current state

Shelley wrote during the Romantic Movement. What was it?

18th century movement in the arts and literature that emphasized nature, imagination, emotion and the individual. The Romantic poets: - focused on emotional and imaginative - experiences rather than intellectual ones. - used "everyday" language and topics. - showed how the lives of common people were extraordinary.

Why is age something the speaker wants to convey?

By using this language the poet is able to convey the age of the ancient statue and suggest just how long ago Ozymandias was in power. The statue is now in ruins that the power is long gone. The poet seems to be making a statement about how fleeting earthly power is.

Who was Ozymandias?

Ozymandias is the Greek name for Ramses II—an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled for 67 years in the thirteenth century B.C. Ramses II was the same Pharaoh that Moses dealt with in the biblical book Exodus when he sought to free his people from their slavery in Egypt.

Who is the author of the poem?

Percy Bysshe Shelley

When Ozymandias ordered the words to be inscribed on the statue, what did he mean by "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair"?

See how powerful I am and fear me.The mighty Ozymandias wanted others to fear him in his lifetime because he was a powerful conqueror.

Brief preview of his life:

Shelley was born near London, England, to a family of wealthy aristocrats. Although his prospects were good, Shelley's own life was troubled. As a young man, he was expelled from Oxford for his political views. His early marriage failed, after which he married Mary Wollstonecraft—the author of Frankenstein.

How is Ozymandias's word ironic and what do they symbolize?

The words that he meant to show his strength actually show his weakness in the end.

The author most likely uses the phrase "antique land" to

convey the sense of history in the statue. The traveler from the antique land can speak of an ancient civilization.

What is the poems tone?

ironic. The tone of the poem reflects the twist the poet puts on Ozymandias's words.