Ozymandias
Percy Shelley
poem background
Ekphrasis, textual representation of visual object. Notional Ekphrasis, as even though it’s based on a bust of Ramses II—and therefore it
would be Actual Ekphrasis—it describes the parts that would not be included in the bust. Fight between Art and Nature/Life. Conflict between
visual arts and literature, about which one is best. 3 poetic voices: the poet, the traveler and Ozymandias through his pedestal
Poem characteristics
“I MET A TRAVELER” — WANDERER MOTIF
“FROM AN ANTIQUE LAND” — EXOTICISM
“WHO SAID… TWO VAST…” — SETTING: Some ruins in a land dessert. Negative image of nature that shallows anything.
• Sand is connected to dust; this connotes the sand regularly in relation with “dust you are and dust you become”
• This is all about mortality. Unlike, in Wordsworth, nature and change are negative for it reminds us of our mortality.
Sublime image of Nature enlightening and defeating the individual, no matter how great you are in life.
“And wrinked lip and sneer of cold command” — Ramses was a powerful emperor, and this supposed statue reflects it well, yet the
only thing that meaning is a pedestal.
• Political criticism: No matter how much power the pharaoh had, he still died and faded away.
• The nature because it is still alive and has defeated Ramses.
• Ubi sunt: Motif of fame that comes ago
• SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI: Motif that no matter how famous and powerful you are, you’’ll die anyways.
“TELL THAT ITS SCULPTOR…”
• Those passions are useless now for the statue is destroyed
• Tension between ART and NATURE — LIFE and DEATH — Nature and Death vein
“THE HAND THAT MOCKED THEM…”
• MOCK: senses of limitation and making fun of something are played myth
• The statue was imitating Ozymandias, but also mocking him, not in purpose, for it’s the only thing that remains of
Ozymandias greatness, yet is broken
“MY NAME IS OZYMANDIAS” (RAMSES GREAT NAME)
“LOOKS ON MY WORKS”
• The only thing that remains of the statue is the written words in the pedestal
• Superiority of literature over visual arts, as the words not only are the ones to actually remain, but it is also able to give a
voice to Ozymandias
• Irony: His works are ruins by now
“NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS..” — Shelley’s own fear of mortality and being forgotten
“OF THAT COLOSSAL WRECK” — SUBLIME.
“THE LOVE AND LEVEL SANDS…” — Eventually, even the words will be swallowed by nature
“Traveller” — WANDERER MOTIF
Poem analysis
“ANTIQUE LAND” — EXOTICISM
“Who said…” — Setting: some ruins in a sand desert. Negative image
of nature that swallows anything. Sand is connected to dust; this
connotes the sand religiously in relation to the “dust you are and
dust you become”. This is all about human mortality. Unlike in
Wordsworth, nature and change are negative for it reminds us of
our mortality. Sublime image of Nature engulfing and defeating the
individual, no matter how great you are in life.
“And wrinkled lip…” — Ramses was a powerful emperor, and this
supposed statue reflects it well; yet the only thing that remains is a
pedestal. Political criticism: no matter how much power the pharaoh
had, he still died and faded away. The sneer could also represent
that of the reader, who unlike Ramses is still alive, or that of
Nature because it’s still alive and has defeated Ramses. Ubi Sunt:
Motif of the fame that comes ago. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi: Motif
that no matter how famous and powerful you are, you will die
anyways
“Tell that its sculptor…” — Those passions are useless now for the
statue is destroyed. Tension between Art and Nature and Life and
Death; Nature and Death win
“Which yet survive…” — The poet tries to confer some sense of
immortality to the statue, but doesn’t convince himself
“The hand that mocked them…” — Mock: the senses of imitation and
making fun of something are played with. The statue was imitating
Ozymandias, but also mocking him, albeit not in purpose, for it’s the
only thing that remains of Ozymandias’ greatness, yet is broken
“My name is Ozymandias…” — Ramses’ Greek name
“Look on my works….” — The only thing that remain of the statue is
the written words in the pedestal. Superiority of literature over
visual arts, as the words not only are the ones to actually remain,
but is also able to give a voice to Ozymandias. Irony: his works are
ruins by now
“Nothing beside remains…” — Shelley’s own fear of mortality and
being forgotten
“Of that colossal wreck…” — SUBLIME
“The lone and level sands stretch far away…” — Eventually, even
the words will be swallowed by Nature, the actual winner
