Ozymandias Poem by Shelly Literary Analysis

Outline
Thesis: A poem about the ravages of time and the fallibility of human power, Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias” exemplifies the use of irony, imagery, and symbolism.
I. Context
A. Shelley wrote “Ozymandias” during the period known as Romanticism.
B. Context has an important role to play in poetry due to the cultural and historical implications of the symbols and imagery used in “Ozymandias.”
C. The Romantic era hearkened to an idealized past, with special affection for ancient civilizations, which is why Shelley uses imagery of ancient Egypt in “Ozymandias.”
II. Themes
A. Although brief, “Ozymandias” is a complex poem with interlocking and layered themes related to time, power, and identity.
B. One of the main themes of Shelley’s poem is the passage of time, and how people from different eras perceive reality differently.
C. Another main theme of “Ozymandias” is the fallibility and fleeting nature of authoritarian power in human societies, symbolized by the crumbled statue of a King.
III. Irony, Symbolism, and Imagery
A. Irony, symbolism, and imagery converge in “Ozymandias,” creating a cohesive poetic whole.
B. The poem is ironic because of the juxtaposition of the King’s certainty of his own power with he is now just a “colossal wreck,” (line 14).
C. The poem is also ironic because of the juxtaposition of eternity, represented by imagery of the “yet surviving” (line 7) statue and the “boundless” (line 13)sands, and temporality, represented by the decay.
Conclusion: With imagery of the eternal sands of time, into which the man-made statue crumbles, Percy Bysshe Shelley captures the ironic nature of human power and history.
Shelley’s “Ozymandias”: Irony, Imagery, and Symbolism
In “Ozymandias,” Percy Bysshe Shelley uses a variety of literary devices to convey the main themes of the poem. The poem was penned in the Romantic era in England, a historical and cultural context that captures the prevailing interest in ancient civilizations. After all, the poem is about a traveler “from an antique land,” who tells the story about a crumbled statue of an ancient King who was once powerful (line 1). In relaying this story, the narrator offers a frame narrative about meeting the traveler and hearing about the statue second hand. The imagery used to describe the statue is important because it reflects both the main themes of “Ozymandias.” Those themes include the passage of time and the fleeting, ephemeral nature of human power. The king whose statue is in question was once all-powerful and had commissioned whole cities; and yet nothing of those cities remains. Even though the sculptor offered tribute to the King, it is as if modern human beings are laughing, “mocking” just as the sculptor might have done all those centuries ago (line 8). Imagery of sand, sandstone, and the crumbling statue also creates the irony that is central to Shelley’s poem. The King’s memory does indeed live on, told through the traveler’s tale and also through the narrator’s lips and the poem itself. Yet the King was wrong to assume that onlookers would “despair” at the sight of his grandiosity (line 11). A poem about the ravages of time and the fallibility of human power, Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias” exemplifies the use of irony, imagery, and symbolism.
Context matters in poetry, and indeed in all literature, providing the cultural and historical zeitgeist that aids in interpretation and understanding (Glenn & Gray, 2019). In “Ozymandias,” the context is the Romantic era: a time in which poets and painters alike sentimentalized the ancient and natural worlds. The use of imagery and symbols related to ancient Egypt is therefore fitting for a poem written in the Romantic era. Moreover, the Romantic era hearkened to an idealized past, a sentiment that Shelley captures with a great degree of irony “Ozymandias.” The imagery is at once sentimental and pays tribute to the wonders of the ancient world, but it also makes fun of the egotistical nature of ancient rulers—who are much like contemporary rulers and rulers in any other culture or historical era. Therefore, the context of “Ozymandias” helps the poet to portray the main themes related to the fleeting nature of power and the gradual but certain passage of time.
Although brief, “Ozymandias” is a complex poem with interlocking and layered themes related to time, power, and identity. One of the main themes of Shelley’s poem is the passage of time, and how people from different eras perceive reality differently. The passage of time is conveyed through the symbol of sand, which is but the crumbling of rocks hewn millions of years ago in the earth. Also, the passage of time is symbolized by the crumbling statue of the King and the fact that “nothing beside remains” other than the statue that pays homage to the ancient ruler (line 12). Another main theme of “Ozymandias” is the fallibility and fleeting nature of authoritarian power in human societies, symbolized by the crumbled statue of a King. The King is correct in assuming that his power would be eternal as if he were a god; and yet the King overestimated his power due to the fact that his civilization is long gone and now just the stuff of stories.
Irony, symbolism, and imagery converge in “Ozymandias,” creating a cohesive poetic whole. The poetic devices Shelley uses help the poet to focus on the main themes of “Ozymandias,” including the passage of both power and time. Shelley’s poem is ironic because of the juxtaposition of the King’s certainty of his own power with he is now just a “colossal wreck,” (line 14). Yet even if the reader, the traveler, or the narrator may mock the egotism of the King, his statue is all that is left of the ancient civilization. There are no commoners to celebrate or remember; no buildings: only the statue of the “King of kings,” and his name Ozymandias (line 10). The poem about Ozymandias the king is also ironic because of the juxtaposition of eternity, represented by imagery of the “yet surviving” statue, which has outlived everything as if the king truly did manage to achieve immortality (line 7). Also, the “boundless” sands symbolize temporality, eternity, represented by their stretching indefinitely into the horizon (line 13). Shelley uses literary devices like irony, symbolism, and imagery to cleverly show how human power is both tangible and intangible at the same time; both genuinely potent and yet subject to the ravages of time.
With imagery of the eternal sands of time, into which the man-made statue crumbles, Percy Bysshe Shelley captures the ironic nature of human power and human history. Ancient civilizations reached their heyday due to the exertion of power by lone individuals like Ozymandias the King. The King believed so fully in his power and magnificence that he commissioned statues of himself: a sign of his egotism. Ironically, though, even though the sculptor, the narrator, and the traveler may all grimace at the long-dead King, it is his statue that survives when nothing else does. The King has become an integral part of history, and yet through the symbol of the sands, Shelley also suggests that one day soon too, the King himself may be forgotten.







References
Glenn, C. & Gray, L. (2019). Harbrace Essentials. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Johnson, G. & Arp, T.R. (2018). Perrine’s Literature. Boston: Cengage.
Shelley, P.B. (1818). Ozymandias. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/ozymandias