What do these images make you think of? What do the ruins suggest about those that made them?

Ozymandias Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley is a Romantic poet and was born 4th August 1792. He was the husband of Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and was rather unconventional for the time period he lived in. He had radical social and political views, was an atheist and believed in free love. (He was already married when he ran away with Mary!) He was a Socialist, believing that everything should be owned/shared by the community rather than individuals having all the power.

Ozymandias Percy Bysshe Shelley Shelley was inspired to write ‘Ozymandias’ after news that Egyptian artefacts would be displayed in England. ‘Ozymandias’ is another name for the Egyptian ruler Ramses II.

The poem uses a Sonnet structure. OCTAVE (problem/concern) I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“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, 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; SESTET (resolution/message) And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.” The poem uses a Sonnet structure. 14 lines Pentameter (10 syllables) But has an unusual rhyme scheme for a sonnet. Shelley’s individuality?

Different levels of speakers are used to create distance. Why? I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“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, 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; What has happened to the statue? What has happened to the kingdom that used to surround it? What does it suggest about the ruler now? What impression do you get of the ruler when he was alive? What did the sculptor think of him?

What is Shelley saying about Ozymandias/ And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.” How is Shelley making fun of these ideas? (Think about his Socialist views!) What is Shelley saying about Ozymandias/ those that are in power? Which words emphasise his point?

What message does Shelley give about Ozymandias and those like him? What does Shelley think about people with power/control? Where can this be seen in the poem? Quote? What does the quote mean? Language Analysis? What is Shelley’s message about the power/control people have?