Basically, the poem reminds powerful people that their power is only temporary. The theme of Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem “ Ozymandias” is fairly straight forward and are also highly traditional. What is the main theme in the poem Ozymandias? The first was written by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) and was published in the 11 January 1818 issue of The Examiner of London. The shattered and ruined statue of Ozymandias is itself a glaring example of irony as it was engraved with the word Look upon my work, ye mighty. Ziˈmændi?s/ oz-ee-MAN-dee-?s) is the title of two related sonnets published in 1818. Ozymandias composed by Percy Shelley is a masterpiece establishing the philosophy of life through irony and sarcasm. Similarly, you may ask, when did Percy Shelley write Ozymandias? 'King of kings' also alludes to divine power as Ozymandias believed himself to be as or more omnipotent than God.
Shelley's own version is seen in the last four lines: Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!Īdditionally, how does Shelley present Ozymandias? Shelley makes usage of cacophonous alliteration to present the power Ozymandias once had, 'cold command' and 'King of Kings', these suggest Ozymandias was a stern and authoritative ruler. Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley felt inspired to write the poem " Ozymandias" due to archeological discoveries being made in Egypt as a result of Napoleon's defeat of Egypt in 1798, nearly 20 years before Shelley wrote the poem. Shelley wanted to commemorate that event and was spurred on as well by a friendly rivalry with the poet Horace Smith.īeside this, what influenced Percy Shelley to write Ozymandias? First, the poem was inspired by the arrival in England of a portion of a statue of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II. Shelley wrote " Ozymandias" for several reasons.