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Ozymandias (poem) with explaination

This poem is written by Percy.Bysshe,Shelley

P.B.Shelley



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About author P.B.Shelley

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Ozymandias (poem)


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. 

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.


Explaination of poem (Ozymandias) 


This is an ironic poem. The poet condemns' the vices of pride, vanity and conceit. A man gets success in his life and becomes proud of it. He forgets his reality and boasts of his achievements. But finally death levels everything. This poem reflects the end of a pride and vain man. Ozymandias was a king. He was proud of his achievements. 
He was vain and proud. But finally death snatches away everything and his broken statue lying in a desert gives a lesson of humbleness. In these lines, the poet tells us the story of a traveler. The traveller tells the poet about a broken statue which he saw in a desert. The statue was in a miserable condition.
 His legs were erected in sand. His broken body was lying nearby. His image was skillfully drawn. The passions of vanity, conceit and pride could be easily read from its structure. The artist had beautifully drawn these characteristics in that. This, poem reflects the end of a pride and vain man. 
Ozymandias was a king. He was proud of his achievements. He was vain and proud. But finally death snatches away everything and his broken statue lying in a desert gives'a lesson of humbleness. In these lines, the more details about the statue are given. There were some words inscribed under it. He enjoyed a life of glory and glamour. But finally death snatched away everything and nothing remained behind. 
These lines are highly symbolic and thought provoking. fperson gets success and glory in life. involved in worldly pursuits that he becomes and vain. He even forgets his death. But death not forget him. Death takes away him and only |0neliness and a vast barrenness remains tjehind. So, the poet wants to teach us that we must be humble in our lives. 
We should not forget our reality in any condition. . It is a very ironic poem which describes the pride of man and the wretched reality of his life. Man becomes proud by'success. He thinks that he has toppled the world. 
He forgets that death is merciless. Time brings end to all leisure of man, and death is a great leveler. Shelley believes that all feelings of superiority in man are only an illusion and a self-deception

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