Percy Shelley - 1819 Themes
Percy Byssche Shelley who lived from 1792-1822 was an English romantic poet whose writings challenged English politics and its conservative values. He lived under the rule of King George III and witnessed the detrimental effects the monarchy had on the country. Many of his works criticised the oppressive rule of the monarchy and expressed radical ideas of revolution. In his sonnet "Ozymandias" Shelley challenges the fallibility of oppressive and arrogant rulers and explores the idea that mankind is insignificant compared to nature. This is realized through poetic techniques such symbolism sound and structure.Shelley represents the frailty of human achievements through the symbolism of the weathered statue isolated in the vast desert. Shelley indicates the insignificance of the statue in the first line "a traveller from an antique land". The word antique indicates that the land is old and unimportant; there is no celebration for Ozymandias he is only regarded by travellers passing by. This proud king believed his legacy would last forever yet all that remains are "trunkless legs of stone". This use of imagery accentuates the idea of the uselessness of human accomplishments. The word "trunkless" underlines the emptiness of his a
Shelley can be seen as criticising the totalitarian and arrogant rule of the monarchy. This negative imagery depicts Ozymandias as a cruel leader suffering from excessive pride and arrogance. The enjambment of the word "decay" highlights the weakness of man's achievements; we will never be able to outlast nature. Shelley also explores the supremacy of nature compared to the impermanence of man. Ozymandias has nothing but an empire of sand, a kingdom which is hardly solid or permanent, given that sand is constantly shifting and can disappear through an hour glass and as the sand falls through the hour glass so do we. The alliteration of "b" symbolises the harshness of the desert and its total bareness. It is a warning of the impermanence of man; time will eventually catch up with us all. The alliteration in line 13 "boundless and bare" combined with the use of enjambment highlights the idea of the emptiness of Ozymandias' kingdom. The once mighty king is now no more than lifeless rock. Shelley highlights the limitation of man with the phrase "half sunk as shattered visage lies". This idea is also supported in the last line, "the lone and level sands stretch far away". Ozymandias does not comply with any strict rhyming pattern symbolising Shelley's rejection of traditional ideals and leaders. The caesura in line three symbolises the hole in time and Ozymandias hollowness. Adding to the idea of hubris is the metaphor of the sculpture as being "stamped on these lifeless things".
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