Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
English Lit: AQA GCSE Poetry - Power & Conflict, topic 17.1.1
Key Quotations in Ozymandias
Here are key quotations to remember for your exam:
“Vast and trunkless legs of stone”
- Metaphor.
- This describes the statue. The ruined statue is a metaphor for political power.
“Half sunk”
- Metaphor.
- This describes the statue. The ruined statue is a metaphor for political power.
“Shattered visage”
- Metaphor.
- This describes the statue. The ruined statue is a metaphor for political power.
- Just as the face of the statue is “shattered”, “decay[ed]” and a “wreck”, so too is Ozymandias’ power.
“Sneer of cold command”
- Alliteration.
- The use of sound in the poem contributes to the speaker’s distaste towards Ozymandias.
- For example, the alliteration of the harsh ‘c’ and ‘b’ sound in “cold command” and “boundless and bare”.
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings..."
- “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”.
- The repetition of “king of kings” shows how Ozymandias wished to portray himself as omnipotent (all powerful).
- It suggests that he is trying to deify himself (make himself a god) and wants to be worshipped as one.
“Nothing besides remains. Round the decay..."
- “Nothing besides remains. Round the decay / of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare”.
- Juxtaposition.
- The juxtaposition of “colossal” and “wreck” emphasises the contrast between his former power and his current state.
- Caesura.
- The caesura after “remains” in line 12 highlights how Ozymandias’ power has come to an end.