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OZYMANDIAS
Percy Bysshe Shelley

About Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) was a British writer and a significant figure in English Romantic poetry
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o Shelley is widely regarded as one of the major English Romantic poets
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o Although he did not achieve fame during his lifetime, recognition of his poetic achievements grew steadily after his
death
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B
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Notable Works:
Some of Shelley’s best-known poems include:
“Ozymandias” (1818): A sonnet that reflects on the impermanence of power and human achievements
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“To a Skylark” (1820): A lyrical poem celebrating the beauty and freedom of the skylark
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“Prometheus Unbound” (1820): Considered his masterpiece, this lyrical drama reimagines the myth of Prometheus
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o His essay “The Necessity of Atheism” (1811) caused controversy and risked prosecution for religious libel
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o He went into permanent self-exile in Italy in 1818, where he produced some of his finest poetry
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”
Legacy:
o Shelley’s poetry continues to resonate with readers for its sweeping imagery, genre mastery, and exploration of ideas
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OZYMANDIAS
Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said— “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert
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Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
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Each line typically contains ten syllables, with the stress falling on the second syllable of each pair
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The final couplet diverges from this pattern, with the rhyme scheme GG
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The volta (shift in tone or focus) occurs between the octave and sestet
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Tone:
The tone is ironic, emphasizing the contrast between the grandiose inscription and the ruined
statue
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OZYMANDIAS - Analysis
Figures of Speech:
Irony: The inscription’s boastful words juxtaposed with the desolate landscape create
dramatic irony
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Enjambment: Lines flow into each other without punctuation, emphasizing the continuity of
time and decay
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The poem questions the hubris of rulers who believe their legacies will endure
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Caesura: Pauses within lines, emphasizing key phrases
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The use of the word “antique” suggests a sense of timelessness and historical
significance
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The statue is missing its upper body (“trunkless legs”), emphasizing its decay and ruin
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“Vast could also
represent the strength of the empire
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Near them, on the sand,”:
The statue stands alone in a barren desert landscape
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Line by Line - Analysis
4) “Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown”:
The statue’s face is partially buried (“half sunk”) and broken (“shattered”)
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5) “And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command”:
The statue’s lips are wrinkled, indicating age and decay
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6) “Tell that its sculptor well those passions read”:
The sculptor understood the ruler’s emotions and character when creating the statue
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7)“Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,”:
Despite the statue’s decay, the emotions and passions of the ruler are still evident
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8)“The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;”
In this line, Shelley describes the sculptor who created the statue of Ozymandias
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The phrase “the heart that fed” suggests that the sculptor understood Ozymandias’s
passions and desires, infusing life into the stone figure
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“the heart that fed” could also be feeding on the suffering of subjects
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Line by Line - Analysis
9) “And on the pedestal, these words appear:”
The focus shifts to the pedestal on which the statue stands
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The words inscribed here are crucial in understanding the ruler’s arrogance and the
ultimate irony of his boastful claims
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By calling himself the “King of Kings,” he asserts supremacy over all other rulers
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It also shows his arrogance and pride
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11) “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Ozymandias challenges other powerful leaders to behold his achievements and feel
inadequate
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However, the irony lies in the contrast between his boastful words and the reality of
the ruined statue
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Round the decay / Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and
bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away
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The once-mighty statue lies broken and half-buried in the desert
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The vast, empty sands stretch endlessly, emphasizing the impermanence of human
achievements
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The irony is complete: despite Ozymandias’s grand claims, nothing remains but decay
and desolation
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Imagery and Symbolism:
The half-buried, worn-out statue of Ozymandias serves as a metaphor for the
impermanence of political power
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The desert, trunkless legs of stone, and shattered visage evoke decay, emphasizing
the fleeting nature of human achievements
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The poem underscores the ephemeral nature of even the most powerful legacies
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Art
immortalizes moments and emotions, outlasting rulers and empires
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Nature ultimately prevails over human endeavors
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Yet, there’s also a poignant irony—the once-mighty Ozymandias reduced to
insignificance

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