How does Shelley present the theme of Power in the poem Ozymandias?

Firstly we want to highlight any interesting structural devices in the poem and link them to power. Shelley uses a 14 line sonnet in iambic pentameter and a regular rhyme scheme. How does this link to power? Shelley does not use the traditional sonnet form, this could reflect how Ozymandias' power has not survived in a traditional generational sense, the usage of a regular rhyme scheme also highlights how time has passed.
Then we pick out any literary devices Shelley has used that link to power. Shelley makes usage of cacophonous alliteration to present the power Ozymandias once had, 'cold command' and 'King of Kings', these suggest Ozymandias was a stern and authoritative ruler. 'King of kings' also alludes to divine power as Ozymandias believed himself to be as or more omnipotent than God.Shelley then uses the technique of irony to highlight how Ozymandias' power has diminished over time reducing him to "trunkless legs of stone". This is further highlighted by the semantic field of destruction , 'shattered visage, lifelesss, colossal Wreck" (The capitalisation of the word Wreck works as a transferred epithet --> Ozymandias' identity has gone from being regal to being a wreck).Shelley also uses juxtaposition in the lines "Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair!/ Nothing beside remains. Round the decay". Shelley illuminates the transience of Ozymandias' power; he had not achieved the legacy he believed he would and instead his works have been reduced to 'Nothing' a pronoun that highlights how forgotten Ozymandias' works have become.Shelley also shows the power of nature over man with cyclical natural imagery, the poem begins in an 'antique land' and 'desert' and ends with the alliterative line 'the lone and level sands stretch far away', Shelley, a romantic poet, highlights how fragile human power is as it can easily be 'shattered' both by the power of time and nature.

Related English Literature GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do I write an effective introduction for an English essay?


How do I answer a comparative literature question?


Where should I start when answering a question that involves an extract from the text?


How can I easily identify the features of a character within a text?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences