Intermediate F.Sc F.A ICS I.Com English XI Ozymandias Reference Context Explanation

Intermediate F.Sc F.A ICS I.Com English XI Reference Context Explanation Ozymandias 1st Year English Notes Online Taleem Ilmi Hub Class 11th

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Poem no: 8 Ozymandias (Percy Bysshe Shelley)

Explanation with reference to context.

I met a traveller from anantique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

                     Stand in the desert…. Near them, on the stand,

                     Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

Reference:

                    These lines have been taken from “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Context:

                    It is an ironic poem which describes the pride of man and the cheerless reality of his life. Man becomes proud of his worldly success. He starts thinking that he has captured the world of wisdom and intelligence. He forgets that life is merciless and destructive forces also show their existence. Time brings all activities of man to an end. All the feelings of pride in man is only an illusion. It also shows that human beings are mortal but art is not.

Explanation:

                    The poet says that he came across a person who seemed to be from some distant old country and he told the poet that he had seen two huge legs without a body standing in a desert. These legs were made of stone. Beside these legs there lay a damaged face of a man. It was half buried in the sand. The broken statue was in wretched condition. P.B. Shelley is showing is hatred against the king and his life style.

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:

Reference:

                    These lines have been taken from “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Context:

                    It is an ironic poem which describes the pride of man and the cheerless reality of his life. Man becomes proud of his worldly success. He starts thinking that he has captured the world of wisdom and intelligence. He forgets that life is merciless and destructive forces also show their existence. Time brings all activities of man to an end. All the feelings of pride in man is only an illusion. It also shows that human beings are mortal but art is not.

Explanation:

                  In these lines Shelley tells that the face of the statue, which was also in a broken condition, was wearing a stern look. There was a frown and scowl on his forehead. Its lips were wrinkled. There was also contemptuous expression on his face, which showed his indifferent attitude. Thus he appeared to be a very proud ruler, who used to hate others. All these facial expressions indicated that the sculptor of this sculpture had been a great artist and had communicated these strong expressions and emotions by using his art of carving on the face of statue. In spite of the fact that the artistic piece had broken into pieces, the king had died long ago, but the contemptuous look of the king could still clearly be seen on the face of the statue.

                     And on the pedestal these words appear:

                    ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

                     Look on my work, ye mighty and despair!’

                     Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 

                     O that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

                  The lone and level sands stretch away.

Reference:

                    These lines have been taken from “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Context:

                    It is an ironic poem which describes the pride of man and the cheerless reality of his life. Man becomes proud of his worldly success. He starts thinking that he has captured the world of wisdom and intelligence. He forgets that life is merciless and destructive forces also show their existence. Time brings all activities of man to an end. All the feelings of pride in man is only an illusion. It also shows that human beings are mortal but art is not.

Explanation:

                   In these lines, traveller praises the words inscribed on the pedestal of the king’s statue . these words conveyed the message that he was Ozymandias, the ruler of the rulers and he invited other rulers to have a look on his great works and get disappointed. In the ironical tone, the poet tell us that around that place, where that broken statue was seen, there was nothing of the great things the king had built. Through this instance the poet underlines the transitory nature of the world. That enormous monument has decayed and wasted away. There is endless region of sand spread around this artistic statue. If such gigantic pieces of sculpture may perish, other fail structures cannot claim immortality. Man’s life is very brief. If this life is so brief and small one should not be proud and haughty.