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Ozymandias, the most outstanding political Sonnet written by P.B. Shelley throws light on the power of time. Nothing can beat time. It treats everyone equally whether rich or poor, king or pauper.
The poem is an account of the meeting and conversation between the poet and the narrator. The narrator had just returned from an antique and unique land. The poem begins with the traveller telling the poet that he had seen a vast but ruined statue, where stood two giant legs, isolated in the desert. The face was sunk in the sand, frowning and sneering. The sculptor interpreted his subject well. There also was a pedestal at the statue, where the traveller noticed that the statue read "Ozymandias, King of Kings." Through the note written on pedestal, the traveller came to know that he was a powerful king named Ozymandias who could not face the power of time. His strength, works or ego - nothing had remained. He had been perished by the storm of time and was now standing trunk-less in the vast desert. The expressions noticed by the traveller were those of frown and ignorant pride. It could well be understood that the ruler was tyrannous.
The poem conveys the message that man is mortal. He might be proud of his powers but the reality is far more cruel that everything comes to an end as the time keeps on moving and changing. Immortality is the fact concerned with views, time, poetry and goodness only. Thus, Shelley points out very well the power of time. He says that how much ever the emperor might be cruel and powerful in his own time, the race with time can never be won.
Finally, we cannot miss the general comment on human vanity in the poem. It is not just the "mighty" who desire to withstand time; it is common for people to seek immortality and to resist death and decay. Furthermore, the sculptor himself gets attention and praise that used to be deserved by the king, for all that Ozymandias achieved has now "decayed" into almost nothing, while the sculpture has lasted long enough to make it into poetry. In a way, the artist has become more powerful than the king. The only things that "survive" are the artist's records of the king's passion, carved into the stone.
Perhaps Shelley chose the medium of poetry in order to create something more powerful and lasting than what politics could achieve, all the while understanding that words too will eventually pass away. Unlike many of his poems, "Ozymandias" does not end on a note of hope. There is no extra stanza or concluding couplet to honour the fleeting joys of knowledge or to hope in human progress. Instead, the traveller has nothing more to say, and the persona draws no conclusions of his own.
What else can I help you with?
What is chariot-est?
a word in a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelly
Mary shelly mothers name?
Mary Shelly's mother was the philosopher and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Her husband was the poet Percy Bysshe Shelly.
What is the type of poem a bridal song by Percy bysshe Shelly?
lyric
Was Percy Shelly a boy or a girl?
Percy Bysshe Shelley was a boy/man
Which famous english poet was drowned?
percy bysshe shelly was the famous english poet was drowned
How long were Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelly married?
Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley were married for about six years, from 1816 until Percy's death in 1822.
What was Ozymandias?
The tomb of the Egyptian King Ramses Second is described in a Latin book as the tomb of Ozymandias. During the First century, the Greek historian Siculus has recorded that the biggest statue in Egypt had these words inscribed on it: I am Ozymandias, King of Kings; if any one wishes to know who I am and where I lie, let him surpass me in some of my exploits. Today we will wonder how haughty! Shelley did not visit Egypt but read about these and vividly describes the fallen ruins of this statue as if he has actually seen it. The legs alone stand erect and the upper portion has fallen and almost is buried in the desert sands, the head and the body separated. The cruel passions of this tyrant are still to be seen there on that ruined stony face, as was really intended by the sculptor. Not one of the various monuments erected by the King around his statue survived. Everything except that cruel face were destroyed and buried by Time and the desert wind. The message conveyed through the poem is that "the glories of our blood and state are shadows. They are not substancial things. Even kingly authority has to come down to earth, to be made equal to everything else."
Which English romantic poet was married to novelist Mary Shelley?
Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley married English writer Mary Mary Wollstonecraft née Godwin. They married in 1816. Mary Shelley is best known for her Gothic novelFrankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus (1818). Percy Shelly penned works such as his classic poems: Ozymandias, Ode to the West Wind, To a Skylark, Music, When Soft Voices Die, The Cloud and The Masque of Anarchy. The Shelleys resided in the village of Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
In what way is Ozymandias a romantic poem?
Ozymandias was a romantic poem in the sense that it focused on the emotions and attitudes of individuals (being the self-obsession of Ozymandias and the attitude of the sculptor); the overwhelming power of nature and time which overcomes human power; as well as reference to an exotic place long ago; all characteristics of Romanticism. Note that this was written by Shelly, one of the major romantic poets.
Who was Mary Shelley married to and why was he famous?
Mary Shelley was married to Percy Bysshe Shelley at the age of 16 and they eloped. He was famous for his romantic poems. He was one of the greatest romantic poets of all time. Percy Shelley was a freethinker and a radical. He helped Mary complete her education...and tried to make her part of a free love community in which several people would share partners.
Critical appreciation of pb shelly' the cloud?
"The Cloud" by Percy Bysshe Shelley explores the transient and unpredictable nature of clouds as they drift across the sky, drawing parallels to the transient nature of human emotions and experiences. The poem captures the beauty and power of nature while also emphasizing its impermanence. Through vivid imagery and personification, Shelley conveys a sense of awe and wonder towards the natural world, inviting readers to contemplate themes of change, mystery, and the interconnectedness of all living beings.
What does the word despair mean in Ozymandias?
The line from the poem reads "I am Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye mighty and despair." What Ozymandias intended, no doubt, was to impress all others, even the mighty, with his greatness, so that they would despair, or never have any hope of ever being as great as he was. But time has given the line a new and ironic meaning, for nothing remains of Ozymandias's works except "two vast and trunkless legs", and looking on them, the mighty may well despair, since no matter how great they may be, they can never hope for lasting greatness. Time will, in the end, destroy all their works.
