CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON QZYMINDIAS BY P.B SHELLEY.

1. OZYMANDIASOZYMANDIAS
KIU SKD Campus, English LiteratureKIU SKD Campus, English Literature
Group members:Group members:
Irshad HussainIrshad Hussain
Rabia SeemeRabia Seeme

2. About AuthorAbout Author
Name:Name: Percy Bysshe Shelley
Born:Born: Horsham, England,
August 4, 1792
Died:Died: Italy July 8, 1822Italy July 8, 1822
(29 years)(29 years)
Alma mater:Alma mater: Eton and
Oxford
Profession:Profession: Poet,Poet, critic,critic,
artist and Philosopher .artist and Philosopher .
Period:Period: ROMANTICISMROMANTICISM
Magnum opus:Magnum opus: TheThe
Triumph of lifeTriumph of life (unfinished)(unfinished)

3. HISTORY OF THEHISTORY OF THE
OZYMANDIASOZYMANDIAS Ozy & mandias come from Greek words Ozium &
mandate, which mean ‘to breath / air’ and ‘to rule’
respectively.
 Hence ozymandias is simply ‘a ruler of air /a ruler
of nothing’.
 It was written in 1817 during a writing competition
wit his friend Horace Smith.
 First published in 11/Jan/1818 in Leigh Hunt’s
Examiner
 Thought to be inspired by the arrival of the statue
of “younger Memnon” in Britain
 Ozy refers to Ramses the Great, pharaoh of Egypt
during the 19th dynasty

4. Ozymandias (TEXT)Ozymandias (TEXT)
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, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d 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.

5. SummarySummary
Ozymandias was a mighty and famous king ofOzymandias was a mighty and famous king of
Egypt. He got his own statue built. The poetEgypt. He got his own statue built. The poet
came to know through a traveler thatcame to know through a traveler that
Ozymandias’ statue was seen by him in aOzymandias’ statue was seen by him in a
broken condition. His trunk less statue standsbroken condition. His trunk less statue stands
lonely in the desert. Under the statue arelonely in the desert. Under the statue are
inscribed the words : ‘My name isinscribed the words : ‘My name is
Ozymandias, King of kings’.Ozymandias, King of kings’.

6. THEMESTHEMES
 Hubris/ vanityHubris/ vanity
 Time/ DeathTime/ Death
 Art’s EternityArt’s Eternity

7. HUBRISHUBRIS
“PRIDE HATH A FALL”
 In this poem the poet brings
out the vanity and false pride
of human beings.
 The words antique, vast and
colossal indicate that the man who built them
had the power, money and ego to build such a large
statue.
 “frown, And wrinkled lip” this line depicts the rude and
sullen quality of Ozymandias.
 “sneer of cold command” shows us that Ozymandias
was unfeeling and gave orders rather than asked
questions

8. HUBRISHUBRIS
 “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Like “I Oedipus who bears the famous
name”.
 The above two lines of Ozymandias shows
his ego and pride. According to him, his
kingdom and works are very ‘Mighty’ which
make other kings “despair” because their
“Works” would never be as great as his.

9. Theme of TimeTheme of Time
““TIME AND TIDE WAITS FOR NONE”TIME AND TIDE WAITS FOR NONE”
 The poem shows the folly of human efforts to conquer timeThe poem shows the folly of human efforts to conquer time
 Everything in this world is subject to decay.Everything in this world is subject to decay.
 The name and fame of human beings is short lived.The name and fame of human beings is short lived.
 Time may be a great healer, but it is also a callous destroyer.Time may be a great healer, but it is also a callous destroyer.
 “Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
From the above lines we sense the devastation of Ozymandias.From the above lines we sense the devastation of Ozymandias.

10. Theme of Art’s EternityTheme of Art’s Eternity
 A minor theme of this poem is art’sA minor theme of this poem is art’s
durability and eternity.durability and eternity.
 “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, stamp’d on these lifeless
things,”
These lines tell us that although the persons who
belonged to statue has gone, yet the piece of art
survive even after a long span of time.

11. Theme of Art’s EternityTheme of Art’s Eternity
 As we have read the same theme in the
poetry of John Keats, in his ‘Ode on a
Grecian Urn’.
“Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold pastoral!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe.”
(John Keats: Ode to Grecian Urn)

12. Writing styleWriting style
 The poem Ozymandias is written in the form of
Iambic Pentameter
 The rhyme scheme is, ABABACDC-EDEFEF.
 The diction is chosen with great care and
creates a strong imagery.

13. Any Query..??????

14. THE END
Thanketh all of
You…..!!!