Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveler from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunk less 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.”
1. What is this poem about?
It is about a Pharaoh called Ramesses II
2. What kind of person was Ozymandias? What evidence points to this?
He was a Pharaoh and was the King of the Kings and was arrogant as he wanted the people he
ruled over to despair (fear) him and show respect for his works
3. Who are the voices in Ozymandias?
A traveler from an antique land and the poet
4. What is the irony found in this poem? How does Shelly show this?
Ozymandias had said that about the havoc and wreck he had brought onto the countries he
ruled but in the end the statue of him was wrecked and partially destroyed also.
5. Explain the line
“And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive….”
What attitude is implied by Shelley's phrase 'a sneer of cold command'?
Ozymandias looked down on all other people under him and he is arrogant
6. Why do you think Shelly uses alliteration and repetition in his sonnet?
He wants to convey the message that Ozymandias is very arrogant.
7. What do you think the rhyme scheme represents?
The change in rhyme scheme shows a move from a traditional 4 Quatrains to a more modern
mixed rhyme scheme. This indicates changes in times from old to new.
8. What is the main message in this poem? What metaphor used in the poem supports this?
The parallel between the state of the statue, once magnificent and meant to inspire fear in
those who saw it but now laying waste in the desert. This shows the passage of time and that
the great ‘works’ and the desire for immortality is short-lived.
Some important notes:
Ozymandias is an alternate name of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II
Sonnet:
Fourteen lines: All sonnets have 14 lines, which can be broken down into four sections called
quatrains.
A strict rhyme scheme: The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet, for example, is ABAB /
CDCD / EFEF / GG (note the four distinct sections in the rhyme scheme) 4 quatrains
Written in iambic pentameter: Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, a poetic meter with
10 beats per line made up of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.
octave (a term for the first eight lines of a sonnet) with the sestet (a term for the last six lines),
by gradually replacing old rhymes with new ones in the form ABABACDCEDEFEF.
Simile e.g. My mother is as fierce as a dragon. My mother is like a dragon.
Metaphor e.g. My mother is a dragon. She breathes fire whenever I do something wrong and
roars at me whenever I show her my test results.
Metaphor/simile extends throughout the text / book = allegory
Symbols / symbolism e.g. my mother’s cane
Imagery: descriptive text that evokes the senses
Visual imagery: My mother’s cane was long and thin and she wielded like Zorro did his trusty
whip.
Tactile imagery: It was smooth and almost cold to the touch. It bore grooves at even spaces
which on the actual rattan plant would indicate the years of growth. But for me, these grooves
seemed more to reduce my years of mental growth.
Auditory imagery: Whishhhhhh went my mother’s cane. It landed on my arm with a resounding
Piak!