July 30, 2013

Ozymandias^[1]
By: Percy Bysshe Shelley (1818)

I met a traveller from an antique land,^[2]
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone^[3]
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage^[4] lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command, 5
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them,^[5] and the heart that fed;^[6]
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: 10
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’^[7]
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”^[8]

Introduction

Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias,” first published in 1818, is a seminal work in the Romantic canon that encapsulates the transient nature of power and the inevitable decline of all human endeavors. Written during a friendly competition with fellow poet Horace Smith, who also composed a sonnet on the same subject, Shelley’s “Ozymandias” was influenced by the recent acquisition of a fragmentary statue of Ramses II (Ozymandias) by the British Museum. This ancient Egyptian ruler’s monumental ruins inspired Shelley to reflect on the ephemerality of human achievements.

The poem is structured as a sonnet, adhering to a form traditionally associated with the expression of intense personal emotion. However, Shelley innovates within this structure, employing an unconventional rhyme scheme that enhances the poem’s reflective and fragmented tone. The narrative perspective of a traveler recounting the sight of the ruined statue to the speaker adds a layer of distance and mediation, emphasizing the historical and temporal disjunctions at play.

Central to “Ozymandias” is the theme of the impermanence of human grandeur. The shattered visage and the eroded inscription on the pedestal underscore the futility of Ozymandias’ boastful declaration of his eternal greatness: “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” (l. 11). Shelley’s treatment of this theme aligns with the Romantic preoccupation with the sublime and the transient, highlighting nature’s ultimate supremacy over human constructs.

The poem exemplifies key Romantic characteristics, including a fascination with the past, an emphasis on emotion and imagination, and a critique of political and social hierarchies. Shelley’s choice to focus on the ruins of an ancient empire serves as a poignant metaphor for the Romantic skepticism towards the Enlightenment’s faith in progress and reason.

Contemporary relevance of “Ozymandias” is found in its meditation on the hubris of power and the inevitable decay of all human institutions. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting political landscapes, Shelley’s sonnet remains a powerful reminder of the limits of human ambition and the power of time and nature. The poem’s exploration of the themes of legacy and memory continues to resonate, questioning the impact of human action and the true measure of greatness.

Questions for Consideration

Analyze how the historical context of early 19th-century Britain, particularly the fascination with ancient Egypt and the recent acquisition of the Ozymandias statue fragment by the British Museum, influenced Shelley’s composition of the poem. Discuss how this historical backdrop contributes to the poem’s themes and its reception by contemporary audiences.
Examine the theme of impermanence in “Ozymandias.” How does Shelley use imagery and language to convey the transient nature of power and human achievements? Discuss the significance of the poem’s final lines and how they encapsulate the overarching message of the sonnet.
Identify and analyze the Romantic characteristics present in “Ozymandias.” Consider aspects such as the poem’s focus on the sublime, its treatment of nature versus human endeavors, and its emphasis on emotion and imagination. How do these elements align with broader Romantic ideals?
Discuss the narrative structure of “Ozymandias” and the significance of the traveler’s account within the poem. How does the choice of a second-hand recounting impact the reader’s perception of Ozymandias and his legacy? Analyze how the sonnet form contributes to the poem’s overall effect.
Reflect on the contemporary relevance of “Ozymandias” in today’s world. How do the themes of hubris, legacy, and the impermanence of human constructs resonate in modern society? Consider parallels with current political, social, or environmental issues and explore how Shelley’s poem can be interpreted in light of these contemporary concerns.

Notes and Commentary

↑ The Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II was called Ozymandias by the Greeks, and his reign was the height of Egyptian imperial power. According to Diodorus Siculus, a first-century Greek historian, the following was written at the base of Ramses II statue—the largest in Egypt: “I am Ozymandias, King of kings. If anyone would know how great I am and where I lie, let him surpass any of my works.” Ancient Egyptian culture was one obsessed with death and time, and here, Shelley muses on whether is poetic effort, like the statue of Ozymandias, will last throughout the ages (Bloom 2001, p. 18).
↑ Antique implies a temporal ambiguity, both as to the current time in which the narrator resides and the antique time from which the traveller comes. The poem becomes the interface or time warp where they come together (Bloom 2001, p. 18). A similar ambiguity resides around where it is they meet.
↑ Shelley’s first use of mock, see the note to line 8 below, here are the stumps of legs.
↑ From the Latin visus, implying not only the face, but the personality of the wasted king, “one who was arrogant, mean-spirited, and tyrannical” based on the subsequent description (Bloom 2001, p. 19). Shelley, like the other Romantics, opposed the political tyranny, so his poem shows how the ruler and possibly this attitude toward government has been worn away by time.
↑ The hand is that of the sculptor’s who mocked or imitated and perhaps made fun of the artist’s passions. A “mock,” is also a stump or similar large stick of wood, like a Yule log (Bloom 2001, p. 18). To mock becomes the central pun in the poem, meaning both ridicule and imitate. Mocked plays on visage suggesting an outward falsehood or show. However, here the artist’s skill shows the truth of his subject, as if in art, reality lies. This idea is solidified with the writing on the pedestal.
↑ A parallel of the first part of the line: the heart is the king’s which fed his passions.
↑ Ironically, this heroic inscription of the living tyrant becomes, in the words of Anne Janowitz, “a dismal epitaph on the ruler’s works, now reduced to dust” (quoted in Bloom 2001, p. 22). In this irony, the poem is simultaneously able to show the imaginative and creative power of the poet who de-creates reality in his verse.
↑ Sand is used to mark time, but here has been the agent of decay. Here is Shelley’s theme: art perseveres over time. True monuments will always succumb to a similar wear by time; perhaps the words of poets will outlive them all—or the visage of the fallen monument.

Bibliography

Bloom, Harold (2001). Percy Bysshe Shelley. Bloom’s Major Poets. New York: Chelsea House.

[1] The Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II was called Ozymandias by the Greeks, and his reign was the height of Egyptian imperial power. According to Diodorus Siculus, a first-century Greek historian, the following was written at the base of Ramses II statue—the largest in Egypt: “I am Ozymandias, King of kings. If anyone would know how great I am and where I lie, let him surpass any of my works.” Ancient Egyptian culture was one obsessed with death and time, and here, Shelley muses on whether is poetic effort, like the statue of Ozymandias, will last throughout the ages (Bloom 2001, p. 18).

[2] Antique implies a temporal ambiguity, both as to the current time in which the narrator resides and the antique time from which the traveller comes. The poem becomes the interface or time warp where they come together (Bloom 2001, p. 18). A similar ambiguity resides around where it is they meet.

[3] Shelley’s first use of mock, see the note to line 8 below, here are the stumps of legs.

[4] From the Latin visus, implying not only the face, but the personality of the wasted king, “one who was arrogant, mean-spirited, and tyrannical” based on the subsequent description (Bloom 2001, p. 19). Shelley, like the other Romantics, opposed the political tyranny, so his poem shows how the ruler and possibly this attitude toward government has been worn away by time.

[5] The hand is that of the sculptor’s who mocked or imitated and perhaps made fun of the artist’s passions. A “mock,” is also a stump or similar large stick of wood, like a Yule log (Bloom 2001, p. 18). To mock becomes the central pun in the poem, meaning both ridicule and imitate. Mocked plays on visage suggesting an outward falsehood or show. However, here the artist’s skill shows the truth of his subject, as if in art, reality lies. This idea is solidified with the writing on the pedestal.

[6] A parallel of the first part of the line: the heart is the king’s which fed his passions.

[7] Ironically, this heroic inscription of the living tyrant becomes, in the words of Anne Janowitz, “a dismal epitaph on the ruler’s works, now reduced to dust” (quoted in Bloom 2001, p. 22). In this irony, the poem is simultaneously able to show the imaginative and creative power of the poet who de-creates reality in his verse.

[8] Sand is used to mark time, but here has been the agent of decay. Here is Shelley’s theme: art perseveres over time. True monuments will always succumb to a similar wear by time; perhaps the words of poets will outlive them all—or the visage of the fallen monument.

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