Ozymandias
It is often seen that passion and power are positive, progressive emotions. Depending on how much one allows these emotions to consume their life, the subject can become egocentric and careerist. This idea can be proven using many examples, one being the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley. Ozymandias, the King described in the poem, deals with the fall of his empire due to his selfish ways. Through the depiction of Ozymandias’ demeanor and the language of the poem, the Sculptor exposes Ozymandias’ arrogant passion and power, which may be a guise for extreme loneliness due to his empire crumbling. Early in the poem, The Traveler tells the narrator of a story of the old statue that fell apart, although you can still see the face. …show more content…
There is a sense of darkness and suspense which mirrors the helpless feeling of a crumbling empire which results in the grim fate of Ozymandias. The statue is a “wreck” and has “decayed”. The persistent use of negative imagery emphasizes the idea that Ozymandias' desire to be powerful was thoughtless. This is also supported by alliteration including, 'boundless and bare' and 'lone and level'. The statue is surrounded by nothing, which adds to the somber tone. The incorporation, through the syntax of the poem, of many incomplete ideas evoke anticipation throughout the whole sonnet until the very end, resulting in leaving the reader “hanging”. This exposes a vulnerability of Ozymandias and of his great …show more content…
He traps himself in the past, unable to let go of his once powerful self. While Ozymandias is a king based on Ramesses II from the 19th Dynasty, the theme of hubris and the lack of awareness that comes with it is also present throughout the world today. For example, the Enron Scandal in 2002 brought down one of the largest and most powerful corporations in America. As this company kept expanding, never believing that the floor would fall out from under them, a recession hit. They were in denial that their exposure to risk and illegal accounting methods of hiding losses would ever lead to their demise. Just as the statue of Ozymandias being exposed to weather disintegrated, Enron was exposed and began to crumble under it’s own weight. Even as centuries go by, human nature remains the same, the powerful want to stay powerful at all costs, but nature and time reveals that is not possible. People don’t last forever, and everyone has their achilles
It is often seen that passion and power are positive, progressive emotions. Depending on how much one allows these emotions to consume their life, the subject can become egocentric and careerist. This idea can be proven using many examples, one being the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley. Ozymandias, the King described in the poem, deals with the fall of his empire due to his selfish ways. Through the depiction of Ozymandias’ demeanor and the language of the poem, the Sculptor exposes Ozymandias’ arrogant passion and power, which may be a guise for extreme loneliness due to his empire crumbling. Early in the poem, The Traveler tells the narrator of a story of the old statue that fell apart, although you can still see the face. …show more content…
There is a sense of darkness and suspense which mirrors the helpless feeling of a crumbling empire which results in the grim fate of Ozymandias. The statue is a “wreck” and has “decayed”. The persistent use of negative imagery emphasizes the idea that Ozymandias' desire to be powerful was thoughtless. This is also supported by alliteration including, 'boundless and bare' and 'lone and level'. The statue is surrounded by nothing, which adds to the somber tone. The incorporation, through the syntax of the poem, of many incomplete ideas evoke anticipation throughout the whole sonnet until the very end, resulting in leaving the reader “hanging”. This exposes a vulnerability of Ozymandias and of his great …show more content…
He traps himself in the past, unable to let go of his once powerful self. While Ozymandias is a king based on Ramesses II from the 19th Dynasty, the theme of hubris and the lack of awareness that comes with it is also present throughout the world today. For example, the Enron Scandal in 2002 brought down one of the largest and most powerful corporations in America. As this company kept expanding, never believing that the floor would fall out from under them, a recession hit. They were in denial that their exposure to risk and illegal accounting methods of hiding losses would ever lead to their demise. Just as the statue of Ozymandias being exposed to weather disintegrated, Enron was exposed and began to crumble under it’s own weight. Even as centuries go by, human nature remains the same, the powerful want to stay powerful at all costs, but nature and time reveals that is not possible. People don’t last forever, and everyone has their achilles