ANALYSIS OF OZYMANDIAS BY P B SHELLY CBSE – CLASS – X – ENGLISH

ABOUT THE POET


·        
Percy Bysshe Shelly.
·        
Born – 4 August 1792.
·        
Died – 8 July 1822.
·        
Shelly was famous posthumously.
·        
Shelly was one of the prime poets of romanticism.
·        
Famous works:-
1) The revolt of Islam (1817)
2) Frankenstein. (1818)
3) Ode to the West wind (1819)
4) To a Skylark (1820) etc.


BACKGROUND OF THE POEM
·        
Ozymandias was written in competition with his friend Horace Smith.
·        
It  was first published in the 11
January issue of “The Examiner in London”.
·        
He published this sonnet under the pen name Glirastes.
·        
It is believed that the name ozymandias is taken from the great
Egyptian king Ramesses – II.

                                                                          

STRUCTURE OF THE POEM
            *Ozymandias is a sonnet in Petrarchan
pattern. The whole poem is in Iambic Pentameter. The rhyme scheme is quite
unusual and does not match with the Petrarchan pattern. The rhyme scheme is



ABABACDC
– Octave (8 lines).
EDE
FEF – (Sestet (6 lines).
We
find the Volta in line no – 9 bringing a change in the theme.
THEMES
1.  TIME – THE SUPREME WINNER
In
the poem Ozymandias, we get see time to be the ultimate winner. Ozymandias
built his statue and other things to show the posterity his might. But time
destroys everything and so did the statue of Ozymandias.
2.  EPHEMERAL STATUE
The
poem gives us an idea that things created by the humans are all subject to
decay, decline and destruction. The statue of Ozymandias made with delicacy is
in ruins in the desert.

                                                                               

3. VANITY
We
can find the sense of vanity exposed in the poem. The statue of Ozymandias with
frowning look, wrinkled lip, sneers of cold commands and the words, “My name is
Ozymandias . . . . despair” show vanity of a fool.


4.  PERFECTION OF SCULPTURE
The
poem acquaints us with the perfection of Art. The statue which, is created by
the sculpture, is indeed a delicate portrayal of Ozymandias. ‘Frowning look’,
‘wrinkled up’, ‘sneer of cold command’ etc. talk of about perfect sculpting but
at the same time shows the ephemeral state of man made things.  



                                                                     

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