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Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert…Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
4 comments:
Thanks for the reminder of an old favorite poem. My husband has recently become a fan of Cold Play, which has a song, Viva la Vida, that seems to be based on the poem.
Pride is the main theme in Shelley’s Ozymandias. In the inscription on the pedestal Ozymandias calls himself the "king of kings" while also implying that his works of art like the statue, pyramids, that sort of thing – are the best around. Ozymandias is proud of what he has achieved and he commissions this huge – colossal statue to assert this sense of pride. But, as well all know with pride comes in inevitable fall and the wreckage that is left behind stands testimony to that fact. There are many ways to approach Ozymandias and if you need help with reference to the themes and techniques, I would suggest you check out Shmoop.
Daewon: Thank you for enlightening me and for Schmoop.
I mean Shmoop.
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