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Ozymandias poem analysis

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54461332 Assignment 01 Unique number: 859786 Ozymandias Question 1: Pharaoh Ozymandias was a cruel tyrant, who thought himself to be the most mighty person on earth; almost as mighty as a god. The statue is described as having “two vast and trunkless legs” (line 2) inspiring the reader to comprehend Ozymandias’ power; he was so mighty that no-one could even measure his “vast” power. The reader is led to understand that Ozymandias was an arrogant, cruel leader with the words: “frown” (line 4), “wrinkled lip” and “sneer” (line 5). These physical features captured on the visage expose the Pharaoh’s true character as a nasty tyrannical leader, sneering and frowning at his subjects if they didn’t follow his “cold command” (line …show more content…

This poem teaches us that even the strongest and mightiest will eventually fall; Ozymandias considered himself the “king of kings” (line 10) yet now his visage is “half sunk” and “shattered” (line 4). The very statue Ozymandias thought would remain to forever testify his greatness now lies in ruins. The inscription of the pedestal was once intended Ozymandias’ subjects to despair at their inability to reach his level of majestic power, yet now it seems to beg passer byes to despair at the sorry state in which the statue is now lying, to despair at the fleeting nature of humanity.3 The scene described in this poem brings 2 3 gradesaver Wikihow 54461332 to mind the cliché yet true expression of; ‘Pride before fall’4, we in hindsight can see that nothing remains of Ozymandias’ might or power but what the sculptor recorded. He, who was a cruel tyrant; “sneer of cold command” (line 4), has his memory at the fate of nature the sculptors “hand” and “heart” (line 8). Ozymandias thought his power was so exceptional it would remain for aeons, yet the reader is made to understand that his statue is decaying alone; “nothing beside remains” (line 13). The short, not-real, sentences of line 12: “Nothing beside remains. Round the decay”, add to the sense of finality that man is mortal and will not last forever in any form or any what way. The poem ends on a depressing note, the words “sands stretch far away” (line 14)

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