Ozymandias | P.B. Shelley
This famous sonnet of P.B. Shelley mocks at the wordily power glory and grandeur of the kings and great men. He tries to bring to light that even the greatest of kings and men in power turn to dust with the passage of time. Pride and arrogance do not last unto posterity. They get wiped out with the ravages of time. The poem talks about the proud and arrogant king Ozymandias who had a huge statue of himself made. But the ravages of time had shattered it and only the lone and level sand of the desert remained. This conveys to us that God's creation is eternal while man's creation gets destroyed with time.
For the whole poem 'Ozymandias', Please click the below link 'Poem'
The poet met a traveller who had just returned from an ancient land. He talked about a broken statue he had seen in the vast desert. Only the two vast legs of stone were left while beside on the ground lay the visage (the face) half sunk in the sand. The face of the statue showed that the sculptor had studied the passions on the king's face very well when he made the statue. He had stamped those passions exactly on the lifeless statue. The face showed that the king was very proud and arrogant and the sculptor had perfectly depicted them on the face of the statue. On the pedestal of the statue the words written were: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my work, ye Mighty and despair!" which symbolizes his power and glory. But unfortunately, the ravages of time had destroyed it, thereby telling us that all greatness of man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of God.
What message is conveyed through the poem?
Through his famous sonnet 'Ozymandias', Shelley wants to convey a definite message to the readers. Time is all powerful and no one can be spared by the sickle of time. Not even the kings like Ozymandias. All wordily power, glory and grandeur are a nine-day wonder. His vain attempt of keeping his memory alive proved futile. His statue lies shattered. There is nothing else but boundless sand all around it. Only the art of the sculptor who mocked the king's passions by stamping them on the lifeless stones survive the ravages of time.
Describe the workmanship of the sculptor who made the statue.
The sculptor who made the great statue of Ozymandias seemed to be a great workman. The quality of his workmanship is still alive on the features and the expressions on the face of the statue. The wrinkled lip, the facial expressions, the scorn, contempt, the crooked smile, the commanding nature, and hostility tell everything about the man. They clearly tell that the sculptor had read the passions that arose in Ozymandias' heart very well and had stamped them on the lifeless stones. The sculptor did a great job because he could give an expressive and not just physical state to the bling.
What is your impression of Ozymandias after reading the poem?
Ozymandias was a very powerful king of his time. His power, pelf and authority has made him so proud and arrogant that he called himself the king of kings. he changed all the mighty and powerful persons of the world compare themselves with him. He also addressed God and conveyed his challenges to him. This would fill them with despair. They would feel too small and insignificant in his comparison. He did not realize that man can never compare himself with God for all his creations cannot stand the ravages of time unlike that of God's creations.
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