Ozymandias Mindmap

Created by: xmillie-dx
Created on: 15-04-18 12:50

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Ozymandias-Percy Bysshe Shelley
- irony and rhythm
  - no regular rhythm or rhyme scheme- fragmented structure reflects king's 'shattered' power
    - could reflect how temporary and breakable human structures are
    - mixing of different sonnet forms could reflect Shelley's rebellious ideas
    - line 10-Ozymandias’ voice – breaks iambic pentameter- reflects the king’s belief that he is above the law.
    - enjambement and caesura throughout - sense of fragmentation
      - mirrors broken statue/ how Ozymandias' power has crumbled
  - Irony-Ozymandias thinks his power will be immortal but instead it crumbles like the statue
  - second hand account- speaker is telling a story told to him
    - highlights insignificance of Ozymandias -how few people have seen for themselves the statue he created to be immortalised.
  - poem is in sonnet form - traditionally love poem
    - suggest Ozymandias' love for himself/ego
- themes
  - human power is ephemeral (temporary)
    - caesura (line break) after "remains" in line 12 -Ozymandias' power has come to an end
    - juxtaposition of "colossal" and "wreck" - contrast between former power and current state
    - ruined statue is a metaphor for political power
  - negative portrayal of Ozymandias
    - negative language used to describe ruler e.g. "sneer", "frown", "wrinkled", "stamped
      - reflects poets own feelings towards the king + those who rule in a cruel manner
    - alliteration of harsh 'c' and 'b' sound in 'cold command' and 'boundless and bare'
  - Ozymandias as a corrupt ruler / misuse of power
    - repetition of 'king' in 'king of kings' - wishes to portray himself as omnipotent
      - suggest he is trying to deify himself
    - imperative verb 'look' indicates how controlling the king was
- summary
  - Describes the narrator's meeting with a traveller from a foreign land
  - This traveller told him a story about finding the shattered remains of an ancient statue of a king in the desert
  - The inscription beneath the statue indicates that the king was arrogant, proud and boastful
  - Ozymandias is another name for the powerful ancient Egyptian pharaoh - Rames II
  - overarching message that human power is temporary
- context
  - Shelley was a romantic poet and wrote Ozymandias in 1871
  - He was politically radical and disapproved of the British monarchy
  - could argue that this poem is a criticism of wielding (having and using) power in an undemocratic way and ruling as a tyrant.
- key ideas
  - arrogance of rulers
    - arrogance of Ramses and other leaders, power has led to pride and the mistreatment of others
  - power of art
    - art, language and literature are more enduring than human power
      - nothing remains of Ozymandias except a statue and an inscription
  - timeless messages still relevant today
    - temporary nature of political power
    - abuse of power