Ozymandias Essay
In Percy Shelley’s “Ozymandias”, the broken and irregular form of the poem is highly significant to the content. The poem itself is written about a ruined statue of the once great Ozymandias, whose works have crumbled and disappeared, along with his civilisation. The overall message that Shelley is trying to convey throughout the poem is that the pursuit of power and glory for one’s own sake is an unworthy ambition. As history takes its course their legacy will be forgotten and their laws will be overruled. This is greatly reflected by the form of the poem and the many stylistic elements that Shelley uses throughout the piece. Three elements that help convey the message of the poem are rhyme scheme, metaphor, and speaker.
The rhyme scheme …show more content…
In the poem, there are a total of three different speakers. The first one is the narrator’s voice, who we only hear a total of ten words from. The second speaker that we hear from is the traveler that describes the huge statue of Ozymandias that he encountered in the desert. Lastly, we technically hear from Ozymandias himself in the words “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; / Look on my Works, ye mighty, and despair!” (10-11), which would make him the third and final speaker. This use of speaker helps to reinforce the message that Shelley is trying to convey. By hearing from three different speakers, it helps to show the reader that time is passing. We hear from the king when he first created the statue, from the traveller when he first encountered the statue, and also from the narrator when he is telling his story. This helps us to understand how much can change with time. The Pharaoh thought this statue would last for ages, which it did, but it still did not last forever. When the traveller came across the statue, it was in pieces and had been reduced to nothing but “trunkless legs of stone” (2). This proves ironic, because the words on the pedestal mean next to nothing to people today that may come across them, once the mighty king had fallen, his legacy was forgotten. The use of many speakers throughout the poem greatly helps relate the form to the
The rhyme scheme …show more content…
In the poem, there are a total of three different speakers. The first one is the narrator’s voice, who we only hear a total of ten words from. The second speaker that we hear from is the traveler that describes the huge statue of Ozymandias that he encountered in the desert. Lastly, we technically hear from Ozymandias himself in the words “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; / Look on my Works, ye mighty, and despair!” (10-11), which would make him the third and final speaker. This use of speaker helps to reinforce the message that Shelley is trying to convey. By hearing from three different speakers, it helps to show the reader that time is passing. We hear from the king when he first created the statue, from the traveller when he first encountered the statue, and also from the narrator when he is telling his story. This helps us to understand how much can change with time. The Pharaoh thought this statue would last for ages, which it did, but it still did not last forever. When the traveller came across the statue, it was in pieces and had been reduced to nothing but “trunkless legs of stone” (2). This proves ironic, because the words on the pedestal mean next to nothing to people today that may come across them, once the mighty king had fallen, his legacy was forgotten. The use of many speakers throughout the poem greatly helps relate the form to the