englit poetry analysis

ozymandias: the title

refers to Ramesses II, a pharaoh known for his monuments and power

greek version of his throne name roughly means “The mighty one is born of Ra” — hinting at pride, divine association and political power

exoticises the poem from the start

foreshadows a story of greatness which is subverted

ozymandias: the form

written as a sonnet, which typically are associated with love and admiration, yet ironically the poem is about pride and the limits of power

the mixture of the Petrachan (ABBA) and Shakespearean (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) may symbolise the crumbling of old forms, such as the statue has crumbled

the framed narrative (shelley → speaker → traveller → statue → ozymandias) distances the reader from the king and adds to the theme of fading legacy

ironic shift in tone from boastful inscription to image of desolation

mostly iambic pentameter, except “king of kings” line which breaks the pattern to show force. disruption mirrors the fall of his power

ozymandias: the beginning

antique connotes something ancient, exotic and lost to time. also hints at someting valuable but irrelevant — reinforcing decay

giant broken statue symbolises decay

vast highlights former grandeur and power, but the broken state makes this deeply ironic

desert is a symbol of emptiness and isolation. no civilisation remains, reinforcing the idea that human achievements are temporary

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