Perspective

The poem is written from a first person perspective

However speaker is never identified or assigned identifying characteristics

An omniscient speaker

The pronoun ‘I’ is only used once and right at the beginning, showing how little perspective actually matters within the poem.

May be intentional in order to disconnect the reader from Shelley as the poem is a political message

Disguising the message as a fictional character Shelley may escape the blame society would pin on him as the writer.

The opening

‘I met a traveller from an antique land’

This beginning passes on any responsibility for the opinions within the poem onto a fictional stranger.

Shelley opens the poem like this ( with a detached narrative of a traveller) to distance himself from the political messages of the poem.

Shelley uses Ozymandias as an allegory for King George III.

Shows readers he’swilling to risk criticism that would come with doing this

The detachment allows Shelley to comment on the monarchy or religion as he wishes as it’s presented as the views of someone else.

Also, having the poem communicated by reported speech serves to trivialise the reign of Ozymandias.

Structure

Rhyme scheme

The irregular rhyme scheme contrasts the single stanza structure, as the irregular rhyme scheme suggests a lack of power, anarchy and control of the ruler whereas the single stanza suggests order and control.

Could represent how different groups of people view war- beneficial or detrimental to society.

Sonnet

The poem blends Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets

Shelley does this to show all power (+ literary power) is subject to evolution

• The poem uses traditional fourteen lines and Octet-Volta-Sestet structure of a Petrarchan sonnet

• However the irregular rhyme scheme is closer to ABAB CDCD EFEF GG typical or shakespearean sonnets, and uses consistent iambic pentameter.

However the irregular rhyme scheme breaks away from the sonnet form

This allows shelley to imply that literature can defy tradition and give way to new power.

Directly challenging that conventions can be changed

A characteristic of romantic poets who defied old ideas like religion and monarchy.

By adding his own style to the sonnet he encourages the belief that convention shouldn’t be accepted without challenge.

Language

Alliteration

Shelley uses alliteration to demonstrate the vast unending power of the desert and to contrast and belittle the power of man.

The statue can be seen as a representation of human power

A king’s attempt to evade death and be apart of history, but lies broken as a

“colossal wreck”

The statue is stripped of power lying broken on the floor, however the desert around it remains endless and overwhelming in size.

Shelley describes it as

“Boundless and bare”, “Lone and level”

The use of alliteration is there to communicate the vast and powerful extent of nature and its ability to outlast all other forms of power.

Consonance

The repetition of the harsh ‘c’ sound reflects the callous lack of compassion he king had for his subjects and how oppressive the rule was.

The sound bleeds into the readers perception of the king.

This helps to portray him as cruel and aggressive.

• this shows Shelley’s disapproval of military campaigns.

Metaphors

The poem can be seen as an allegory

Shelley is using Ozymandias as a representation of George III and all figures of power.

He uses the literal and metaphorical to create irony surrounding the the fall of the king’s influence.

The image of the shattered visage creates a sense of irony.

The poem portrays a king who believed strongly in his own power and superiority and tried hard to present his image of greatness through his statue. But the statue was destroyed by time and was forgotten.

The visage of power he wore through his reign was a mask for the true vulnerability of his authority.

The transient and insignificant nature of human power is a key theme in the poem because it was this power that he wanted to reform and reassign in order to better structure a corrupt industrialising society.

Symbolism

The use of the desert setting strips Ozymandias of his legacy. The emptiness of the desert symbolises how his reign was pointless and insignificant as he had been forgotten by history.

instead he had been dwarfed by the greater forces of nature and time.

Ozymandias had no legacy despite his orders to

“Look on my works”

and they no longer exist.

Sand is often associated with time, and within the poem, Shelley uses sand to show how time can erase what little power man had.

The sand has literally covered over Ozymandias’ statue, and the figurative sands of time have covered over his memory.

This shows that no matter how powerful man will ever become, that nature will always prevail.

Also shows that everything comes from nature, and everything will return to it.

Focus on power and pride

Overall, Shelley is criticising power.

There is a negative semantic field surrounding this theme, including:

Wrinkled/shattered/frown/sunk/sneer

It could be argued that his aim was to make readers more receptive to ideas about corruption of power when paired with a negative tone.

The speaker is criticising Ozymandias and all he represents, including power and pride

This suggests that those with power are deluded in their belief of supremacy.

The statue is personified and describes as sneering, cold and mocking.

The king is confident that his power will remain remembered throughout history and so makes himself a statue.

The speaker sees that the statue and therefore the king’s legacy is destroyed.

This is Shelley’s use of dramatic irony as the statue has been broken and forgotten with his legacy and empire having been reduced to sand.

Shelley’s message

Shelley sculpted this poem to reflect the oppression of powerful leaders and the transience of mankind’s power.

It mocks rulers past, present and future for thinking they will be different to the previous one.

Shelley can be seen to be criticising power systems where one person is given so much power that the general population is unable to remove them as there is no other alternative.

This ties in with his anti-monarchy and anti-religion views

This is because he is criticising all power being centred on a person who derives their importance from a visage, and perceived divine right to power.