Summary
AQA Ozymandias Poem Summary
Colour coded summary of Ozymandias with context, analysis and methods annotations.
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methods context message/analysisOzymandias
The name of the pharaoh.
Shows that he was important at that time.
Wants to be remembered.
I met a traveller from an antique land,
● His attempt at being remembered failed, because the speaker doesn't even know
who the pharaoh is
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
● ‘Vast and ‘trunkless’ juxtapose each other
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
● Use of ellipsis creates a sense of isolation
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
● Nature is overcoming the statue, swallowing it up
● The statue is longer intact which could also be a metaphor that his power is no longer
in his hands and is slowly decaying, just like the statue
● In the battle of human power vs nature, nature has won. Links to Romanticism as
nature is seen as more powerful than human power. Nature has rejected human
power
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
● The alliteration of cold command suggests his dislike towards others.
● Elements of his personality are starting to show, through his unfriendly facial
expression presented
● He wanted to be remembered by looking fearful and intimidating
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
● Stamped depicts his aggressiveness
● Lifeless depicts permanence
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:
● A pedestal is a platform on which a valuable thing is placed upon; doesn't want to be
touched- this suggests his desire and constant hunger to become the most powerful.
Megalomaniac
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
● Wants people to idolise him
● The attempt at immortality and remembrance failed
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
● Shows his vanity and how full of himself he is. Wants people to feel worthless,
pathetic and hopeless in trying to be like him.
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
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