Poetry Analysis

Back to poet Translate into other languages

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Original Poetry

Translation

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveler from an ancient land,

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two huge and bodyless stone legs

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half buried a broken face lies, whose frown,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Show that its sculptor understood those emotions well

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which still remain, imprinted on these lifeless things,

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that nourished;

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the base, these words appear:

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look at my Works, you Mighty, and despair!"

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Nothing else remains. Around the ruin

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that huge Wreck, endless and empty

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lonely and flat sands stretch far away.

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Explanation

Shelley's 'Ozymandias' is a reflection on the transient nature of power and human achievements. The poem begins with the narrator recounting a story told by a traveler from an ancient land. This traveler describes the ruins of a once-great statue in the desert, with only the legs and a shattered face remaining. The face bears a haughty expression, suggesting the arrogance of the ruler it once depicted. The inscription on the pedestal, 'My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!' is ironic because nothing of the king's supposed greatness remains, only ruins surrounded by endless sands. This serves as a powerful reminder of the inevitable decay of all human endeavors and the futility of seeking immortality through monuments. The poem uses vivid imagery and irony to convey its themes, highlighting the contrast between the king's pride and the desolate reality of his legacy.

Word Dictionary10

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
antique	old, ancient	from a long time ago	an-teek
trunkless	without a body	missing the main part	truhngk-less
visage	face	the front part of the head	viz-ij
sneer	mocking smile	a scornful smile	sneer
pedestal	base, stand	the support for a statue	ped-uh-stuhl
colossal	huge, gigantic	very large	kuh-los-uhl
boundless	endless	without limits	bound-less
lone	alone, solitary	by itself	lohn
decay	rot, decline	the process of breaking down	dih-kay
despair	hopelessness	a feeling of no hope	dih-spair

Poet & Context

PoetPercy Bysshe Shelley

EraRomantic Era

Percy Bysshe Shelley was an English Romantic poet known for his radical views and lyrical poetry. Although not widely recognized during his lifetime, his work gained significant acclaim posthumously. He is celebrated for his mastery of poetic forms and his influence on later poets.

View on Wikipedia

When1817

WhyShelley wrote 'Ozymandias' as part of a friendly competition with fellow poet Horace Smith. The poem reflects on the impermanence of power and the inevitable decline of all leaders and empires, using the ruins of a statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II as a metaphor.

FormSonnet

Themes & More

Themes

impermanence of powerhubrisnature vs. human achievement

Literary devices

irony: The inscription 'Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!' contrasts with the surrounding ruins.imagery: Vivid descriptions of the shattered statue and endless desert convey the poem's themes.alliteration: Repeated sounds in 'boundless and bare' emphasize the desolation.