Ozymandias Summary Class 7 Buzzword

About the Poet

Percy Bysshe Shelley, a prominent English Romantic poet, was born on August 4, 1792, in Sussex, England. He was known for his radical political views and his lyric poetry. Shelley's works often explored themes of nature, imagination, individualism, and the power of the human spirit. Along with poets like Lord Byron and John Keats, Shelley is considered one of the greatest poets of the Romantic era. His life was marked by controversy and rebellion, and his untimely death at the age of 29 added to his mystique as a figure of Romantic legend.

Key Points of the Poem

• The poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley consists of 14 lines and is structured in a sonnet form.
• The speaker encounters a traveler from an ancient land who describes a ruined statue in the desert.
• The statue is of Ozymandias, a once powerful ruler whose empire has long since crumbled.
• The traveler recounts the inscription on the pedestal, boasting of Ozymandias's greatness and power.
• The poem reflects on the transient nature of power, the inevitable decline of all empires, and the fleeting nature of human achievements.

Detailed Summary

Stanza 1
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;

In this stanza, the poet narrates a meeting with a traveler who came from a very old and distant place. The traveler described to the poet a scene in the desert where there are two huge and majestic legs made of stone. These legs are standing alone in the vastness of the desert. Next to these legs, on the sand, lies the broken and decayed face of a statue. The face has a frown, a wrinkled lip, and a cold commanding expression as if it is looking over the vast desert with authority. These features suggest that the sculptor of this statue was very skilled because even in its ruined state, the emotions and intentions behind the statue are still visible. The poet emphasizes that the sculptor captured the passions and feelings so well that they still survive on the lifeless statue. This indicates the power of art to immortalize emotions and intentions long after the creator and the subject are gone.

Stanza 2
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings;
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

In this stanza, the poet describes the inscription found on the pedestal where the statue of the legs and the ruined face of Ozymandias, the king, once stood. The inscription reads, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" These words convey a sense of pride, power, and arrogance as Ozymandias proclaims his greatness and challenges others to match it. However, the irony lies in the fact that despite his grand claims, nothing of his kingdom or power remains except for the decaying ruins in the desert. The once colossal statue now lies in ruins, a mere shadow of its former glory. The vast desert landscape, with its endless expanse of sand, only serves to emphasize the transient nature of human achievements and the inevitable passage of time that erodes even the mightiest legacies. 

Theme/ Message

Themes:

• Hubris and Pride: The theme of pride and arrogance is central to the poem, as Ozymandias's boastful inscription contrasts sharply with the reality of his ruined statue.
• Time and Decay: Shelley explores the theme of time's relentless march and the inevitability of decay and oblivion, highlighting the impermanence of human accomplishments.
• Nature's Power: The poem juxtaposes the fleeting nature of human power with the enduring power of nature, as the desert sands reclaim Ozymandias's monument.

Message:

• The poem serves as a cautionary tale against pride and vanity, reminding readers of the ephemeral nature of human achievements.
• It emphasizes the transience of power and the ultimate futility of trying to defy time and nature.
• Shelley's message urges humility and a recognition of the limits of human ambition, suggesting that true greatness lies in accepting the impermanence of all things.

Difficult Words

1. Antique - Ancient or old
2. Trunkless - Without a trunk or torso
3. Visage - Face or facial expression
4. Sneer - Mocking smile or expression
5. Colossal - Extremely large or impressive
6. Despair - Loss of hope or confidence
7. Ephemeral - Lasting for a very short time
8. Juxtapose - To place close together or side by side for comparison
9. Elegiac - Mournful or expressing sorrow
10. Oblivion - State of being completely forgotten or unknown
11. Impermanence - State of being temporary or not lasting
12. Futility - Pointlessness or uselessness
13. Defy - To resist or challenge openly
14. Ambition - Strong desire to achieve something
15. Humility - Modesty or lack of pride