Ozymandias

E221991

"Ozymandias" is a famous sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley that reflects on the impermanence of power and the inevitable decay of human achievements.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf poem
sonnet
author Percy Bysshe Shelley
centralImage shattered statue of a king
character Ozymandias
the narrator
the traveler
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
depicts boundless and bare sands stretching far away
shattered visage half sunk in sand
trunkless legs of stone
exploresContrastBetween boastful inscription and ruined reality
famousLine Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
firstPublicationYear 1818
genre Romantic poetry
hasInfluenceOn later poems about power and decay
includedIn many anthologies of English poetry
inscriptionContent claims of great works and power
inspiredBy Ramesses II
language English
literaryForm sonnet
literaryMovement Romanticism
surface form: English Romanticism
meter iambic pentameter
narrativePerspective first-person frame narrator quoting a traveler
numberOfLines 14
period early 19th century
publicationMedium The Examiner
relatedWork Ozymandias self-linksurface differs
surface form: Ozymandias by Horace Smith
rhymeScheme unconventional sonnet rhyme scheme
setting ancient desert with ruined statue
studiedIn English literature curricula worldwide
subjectMatter ruined monument of an ancient king
subjectOf extensive literary criticism
symbolism ruined statue symbolizes the futility of earthly power
theme decay of human achievements
hubris
impermanence of power
political power
time and transience
titleRefersTo Ozymandias self-linksurface differs
surface form: Ozymandias, Greek name for Ramesses II
tone ironic
meditative
usesDevice alliteration
dramatic irony
enjambment
imagery

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Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Percy Bysshe Shelley notableWork Ozymandias
Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote Ozymandias
Breaking Bad notableEpisode Ozymandias
Ramesses II alsoKnownAs Ozymandias
Ozymandias titleRefersTo Ozymandias self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Ozymandias, Greek name for Ramesses II
Ozymandias relatedWork Ozymandias self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Ozymandias by Horace Smith
Ozymandias inspiration Ozymandias
this entity surface form: Percy Bysshe Shelley poem "Ozymandias"