Ozymandias (AQA GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Ozymandias
Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem - printed in full - and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems are a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:
The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages of the poet
How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
How do these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology
Below is a guide to Percy Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, from the Power and Conflict anthology. It includes:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s Methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
What to Compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam
Overview
In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
The poem in a nutshell
A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Shelley’s intention and message
Ozymandias in a nutshell
Ozymandias was written by the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. It explores the idea that all power is temporary, no matter how powerful or tyrannical the ruler is, and that ultimately nature is more powerful than any human power.
Ozymandias breakdown
Lines 1-2
“I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said -”
Translation
The poem begins in the first person, but then instantly passes any responsibility for the opinions within the poem on to a stranger
The narrator meets an unnamed traveller, and the poem is then recounted from the perspective of this stranger
Shelley’s intention
Shelley was anti-monarchy and felt that the king at the time of writing, King George III, had outstayed his welcome
Shelley probably wanted to distance himself from the political messages of the poem, so he opened his poem with the detached narrative of a traveller
Shelley also used Ozymandias as an allegory for King George III. The detached narrator meant that Shelley was free to comment on the monarchy as he wished because the views were being presented as the views of someone else
Lines 2-5
“Two vast and trunkless 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,”
Translation
The traveller then tells of a ruined statue standing in the middle of the desert
The statue is of a king, Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias, who ruled over a once-great Egyptian civilisation
Only the legs and the enormous face (the “ visage ”) remain
The traveller only describes the mouth, with a “frown”, “wrinkled lip” and “sneer of cold command”
Shelley’s intention
Shelley is commenting that all that remains of this great and powerful ruler are legs and a “shattered” visage, which creates a sense of irony:
This is ironic because Ozymandias’s power and pride were based on his image of being a great and powerful ruler, and yet now all that remains are broken parts of a statue
The poem portrays a king who believed strongly in his own power and superiority, and who tried to immortalise his power through his statue
The “frown”, “wrinkled lip” and “sneer” of cold command suggest the cruelty and heartlessness of the ruler, who was arrogant and had nothing but contempt for his subjects:
This is reflective of Shelley’s own anti-military and anti-monarchy stance
Yet this statue has now been destroyed by time, and the king has largely forgotten
Lines 6-8
“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;”
Translation
The reader then learns of the sculptor, who “well those passions read”, meaning that he could see beneath Ozymandias’s cold, commanding exterior to his passionate rage to “stamp” himself on the world
When the poet refers to “The hand that mocked them”, he is implying that the sculptor knew Ozymandias’s true and ultimately futile nature
The sculptor created the statue in a way that portrayed the cruelty of the king
Shelley’s intention
The poem presents negative views about the power used to impose will
It also comments on the arrogance and pride that can come from the type of tyrannical power in which the ruler wishes only to be known for his perceived greatness
Lines 9-11
“And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Translation
There is an inscription on the base of the statue, with the arrogant claim that he is “King of Kings”
The inscription invites everyone, especially his “Mighty” enemies, to look at what he has achieved as a ruler, and to know that he believes that he is all-powerful and cannot be defeated
Shelley’s intention
The irony here is that the statue is falling apart and decaying so that only the ruins remain
The poet is showing how power deteriorates and does not last forever:
Even great empires which seem to be eternal can fade to nothingness
Lines 12-14
“Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Translation
The ruins of the enormous statue lie alone in an endless, featureless desert
Shelley’s intention
The power of the natural world is also evident in this poem
Sand and the desert are used as a metaphor for the passing of time:
They also suggest the impermanence of human constructions against the ultimate power of nature
Writer’s Methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have.
Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Shelley’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:
Form
The poem is written in the form of a 14-line sonnet, which blends both Petrarchan and Shakespearean forms, in order to comment on human power and pride
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Established power structures | The poem takes the traditional 14-line form of a Petrarchan sonnet but uses an irregular rhyme scheme and consistent iambic pentameter, which is more typical of Shakespearean sonnets | The irregular rhyme scheme breaks away from the sonnet form, which enables Shelley to imply how poetry and literature can defy tradition and give way to new power |
He is demonstrating that established power structures can be changed | ||
A sonnet is typically a love poem from a man to his lover | It could also be argued that this ‘love poem’ is reflective of the pride and love Ozymandias has for himself, and not his subjects |
Structure
Shelley uses the structure of Ozymandias to comment on the temporary nature of all human power when compared to the power of God or nature
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Futility and impermanence of human power | In line 3 of the poem, Shelley uses a technique called caesura; a pause that occurs in a line of poetry, marked by the use of ellipsis | With this technique, the sonnet comes to a halt in the middle of the line |
Shelley uses the caesura to represent the breaking up of the statue | ||
Shelley also uses enjambment in the poem alongside the caesura | This creates an uneven pattern reflecting the broken nature of the statue, as well as the fact that nothing can last forever | |
All of the lines have 10 syllables, except line 10, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings”, which has 11 | This suggests that the ruler believes himself to be more important than God | |
The poet uses a short sentence: “Nothing beside remains” | Shelley does this perhaps to symbolise the finality of death and decay |
Language
Shelley uses his choice of techniques and language to compare the ultimately futile nature of human power on the one hand with the overwhelming and everlasting power of nature on the other
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Futility and imperfection of human power | The statue can be seen as a representation of human power | It is a king’s attempt to evade death and cement himself in history, yet it lies broken as a “colossal wreck” |
The “cold command” of the statue’s sneer reflects Ozymandias’s cold and cruel nature | This is also reflective of Shelley’s own anti-military stance, as he was against the “cold commands” of military action | |
The inscription orders others to “look on my works” | This is ironic, as they no longer exist | |
The setting of the desert is symbolic, as the land that surrounds the ruined statue is a vast, featureless wasteland, without any life or culture | The emptiness of the desert is symbolic of how his reign was ultimately pointless and insignificant, as he has been forgotten by history | |
Power of Nature | The desert is described as “boundless and bare” and “lone and level” | This communicates the vast, powerful extent of nature and its ability to outlive all other forms of power |
Shelley uses alliteration such as “lone and level” | This demonstrates the vast, unending power of the desert, and contrasts the limited power of man | |
Shelley uses the “sands stretch far away” as a metaphor | This shows the passing of time, and how time can erase the power of man |
Context
Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Percy Shelley or historical facts about the 19th Century that are unrelated to the ideas in Ozymandias. The best way to understand context is to the ideas and perspectives explored by Shelley in Ozymandias which relate to power or conflict. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Shelley explores:
The Nature of Human Power
Shelley was a radical romantic poet, who was strongly anti-monarchy, and a pacifist and he supported social justice
He rejected institutions of power, and his poetry was used to spread messages and political ideas which needed to be accessible to all
Shelley wrote Ozymandias to comment on the temporary and ultimately futile nature of human power
He was also against the monarchy and institutions that represented power and authority
There are several historical references in the poem
The first is to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, who used the throne name Ozymandias
Ramesses II thought himself to be a very powerful ruler and is remembered for his tyranny and military exploits, as well as having a large empire over Egypt
King George III was also an influence in this poem, as he was king at the time of the writing
This is reflected in the “sneer of cold command” that initiates military actions
He engaged in military conflicts and was remembered for oppression and tyranny. Many believed he had outstayed his welcome
Shelley was a pacifist and positioned himself against George’s military exploits
The poem also touches on how human power, by its nature, can corrupt and ultimately doesn’t last
The decay of the statue reflects how exploits which are impressive, but not morally good, will be criticised and forgotten about after they end
Overall, the poet is criticising power, arrogance and pride, as represented by Ozymandias
It mocks rulers' past, present and future for thinking they will be any different from the previous one
Shelley was also perhaps criticising systems in which any one individual is given so much power that, despite their abuse of it, the population is unable to remove them
He is also criticising all power being centered on a person who obtains their importance from an image and perceived divine right to power
The poem also explores the conflict between humans and memory, as Ozymandias was largely forgotten, even though he thought his memory would last forever
The poem also touches on the lasting power of art and words
Many people may not have remembered Ozymandias, but part of the statue remained, as well as the words placed on the inscription
The Power of Nature
Certain key themes dominated the poetry of the Romantic era, such as the concept of the sublime
This term conveys the feelings people experience when they see awesome landscapes, or find themselves in extreme situations which create feelings of both fear and admiration
By describing the desert as “boundless and bare” and “lone and level”, Shelley communicates the vast, powerful extent of nature
He also comments on nature’s ability to outlive all other forms of power (and deem them insignificant by comparison)
The “boundless” desert easily outlives the now-forgotten king Ozymandias
What to Compare it to
The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about power, or conflict, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Ozymandias explores the ideas of the nature of human power, the corruption of power, and the power of nature, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:
For each pair of poems, you will find:
The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
Ozymandias and My Last Duchess
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Ozymandias and My Last Duchess criticise the corruption of power by excessively prideful individuals and explore how, ultimately, this pride and power is undermined by forces more powerful than themselves
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems show the effects of power and how it corrupts, as well as how power can be undermined | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | My Last Duchess |
In Ozymandias, the poet shows a loss of power over time and in competition with nature, as the character is surrounded by desert which is a symbol of nature and time | Similarly, My Last Duchess shows the duke’s power constantly undermined by the enjambment, caesura and single stanza | |
Shelley describes Ozymandias’s “sneer of cold command” as if to suggest that he is a cruel and heartless leader, only concerned with his own power and the immortality it will bring | The Duke in “My Last Duchess” is similarly concerned with his own power and status. Although the monologue is meant to replicate a conversation, there is no opportunity for anyone else to speak | |
Ozymandias might have had “cold command” of his “lands”, just like the Duke “gave commands” | Browning writes the monologue to show the Duke’s self-obsession and that he is not interested in anyone’s views other than his own | |
The temporary nature of power is contrasted in both poems with the permanence of sculpture and art, as shown by the sculptor in Ozymandias and the painter in My Last Duchess | ||
Topic sentence | Both poets are concerned with how, in the wrong hands, power corrupts and how rulers are excessively prideful | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | My Last Duchess |
This is expressed in Ozymandias through the form of a sonnet, as it is a love poem to show the king’s love for himself | In My Last Duchess, the duke loves his “nine hundred-year-old name” and feels entitled to authority and control because of it | |
It could be argued that both figures of power are ultimately left with nothing | ||
In Ozymandias, the “lone and level sands stretch far away” | The Duke is left with a statue of “Neptune” which is made of cold bronze | |
Differences:
Topic sentence | While both poets suggest that pride and power lead to oppression, the subjects of the oppression are different in each poem. | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | My Last Duchess |
In Ozymandias, the statue is used as a symbol for all institutions or figures of power | In My Last Duchess, the Duchess is shown as the symbol of oppression – “then all smiles stopped” | |
Ozymandias and London
Comparison in a nutshell:
This is an effective comparative choice to explore the nature of political power. Both Shelley’s Ozymandias and Blake’s London show how nature will always be more powerful than humankind, and use setting to convey the nature of power and the power of nature
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems show that, despite human achievement and progress, nature will always be more powerful than humankind | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | London |
The statue in Ozymandias is a physical symbol of the power of mankind, and the poem shows it being consumed by nature | Blake’s London shows the attempts of humans to control nature, and the futility of this attempt | |
Shelley emphasises the exceptional power of the natural world, which links to the Romantic idea of the sublime | Blake writes “near where the chartered Thames does flow”. He juxtaposes “chartered” and “flow” emphasising how impossible it is for humans to ultimately dominate nature | |
Despite being rigidly dominated (“chartered”), the Thames continues to “flow” naturally. It cannot be controlled | ||
Both poets reflect on power as something that creates a sense of entitlement or arrogance, as a way to make those lacking in power suffer | ||
They also show that, ultimately, power and status are meaningless in the long term, as all power is equalized by death | ||
Both poets appear to want to show, via their depictions of people, how power in the wrong hands can be used for evil
| ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Whereas Shelley is warning against individual arrogance and pride, Blake is commenting on the state of all people who live in London, and the systems that create oppression | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | London |
Via the inscription on the pedestal, Ozymandias orders his people to “look on my work…and despair.” | Blake is commenting on the corrupt nature of politicians and organised societal structures in London, as he believes they cause great suffering to all | |
The imperative “look on” shows the king’s arrogance and the verb “despair” suggests that once someone has seen what he has achieved, there is no option for them but to feel lost and defeated | However, Blake describes the people of London as living in “mind-forg’d manacles . ” This suggests that the people who are suffering have created their own prisons in the minds | |
“Manacles” has connotations of slavery and oppression, suggesting that Blake feels that London is oppressing its residents | ||
Blake uses repetition to reinforce the great suffering of all mankind in “In every cry of every man…”. “Man” is used as a collective noun to encompass all humanity | ||
Ozymandias and The Prelude
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Shelley’s Ozymandias and Wordsworth’s The Prelude highlight the sublime and overwhelming power of nature, and humankind’s inability to impact forces beyond its control
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems display nature as more powerful than mankind | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | The Prelude |
In Ozymandias, human power is shown as intrinsically weak and transient, lost to time and nature | Meanwhile, in The Prelude, failed attempts of mankind to overpower and manipulate a force beyond its control are displayed | |
Similarly, both poems express this power of nature through the use of personification | ||
The theme of pride is key in both, it being the cause of the subjects’ eventual fall | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | While both poets explore how pride is unfounded because human power is inferior to the power of nature, they present this in different ways | |
Evidence and analysis | Ozymandias | The Prelude |
In Ozymandias, this power is conveyed through the symbolism of the desert and time | On the other hand, in The Prelude, the overwhelming power of nature leads to the speaker’s loss of eloquence and how he becomes unable to define his world | |
There are also significant differences in form and structure, with Ozymandias being a sonnet and The Prelude an epic poem | ||
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