Percy Bysshe Shelley.
The poem “Ozymandias” was written by Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the crucial celebrated Romantic poets of the early nineteenth century. Written in 1817 and printed in 1818, “Ozymandias” is usually thought of considered one of Shelley’s most well-known and often anthologized poems. It exemplifies the Romantic fascination with antiquity, the transience of energy, and the inevitable decay of human constructs.
The poem itself is a sonnet, a kind that Shelley manipulated with nice ability. “Ozymandias” describes the ruins of a statue within the desert: the legs of stone stand and not using a torso, and close to them lies a shattered visage with a frown and “sneer of chilly command.” On the pedestal close to the statue, an inscription reads, “My identify is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Nevertheless, across the decay of that colossal wreck, nothing stays however the boundless and naked sands stretching far-off. The poem is a meditation on the hubris of kings, the impermanence of empire, and the passing of time, themes that resonate with the Romantic beliefs of the elegant and the facility of nature over human endeavors.
Shelley was impressed to write down “Ozymandias” as a part of a pleasant competitors along with his up to date and pal, Horace Smith, who wrote a equally themed poem additionally entitled “Ozymandias.” In Shelley’s model, the main target is sharp and poignant, encapsulating the would possibly and majesty of Ozymandias’ rule and its inevitable decline into obscurity and destroy.
“Ozymandias” is an evocative piece, wealthy in imagery and layered with irony. The irony within the poem is palpable because it juxtaposes the imperious message of the inscription with the desolate scene surrounding the damaged statue. This distinction serves as a robust assertion on the futility of human delight and the timeless, typically ignored knowledge that every one glory is transient. The themes and imagery Shelley employs in “Ozymandias” have made the poem a long-lasting image of the Romantic period’s preoccupations with nature, historical past, and the boundaries of human achievement. Via this poem, Shelley not solely displays on the fallibility of tyranny and the self-importance of pompous leaders but additionally crafts a story that continues to be related in discussions about cultural legacy and historic reminiscence.
