notes&onshelley’s&poems&...

NOTES  ON  SHELLEY’S  POEMS    “Ozymandias”    •  Because  of  the  discovery  and  translation  of  the  Rosetta  Stone,  the  science  of  Egyptology  was  founded    

   •  Sparked  a  renewed  interest  in  Egypt  •  Ozymandias  =  Ramses  II  =  pharaoh  of  Egypt  (same  one  depicted  in  The  Ten  Commandments)    

•  Describes  an  enormous  statue  that  has  crumbled  •  Who  is  supervising  this?  Ramses  had  ordered  it,  like  any  good  dictator  •  Built  for  political  reasons:  the  intimidation  of  ambassadors,  visitors,  invaders    

•  What  does  that  say  about  the  leaders?  Power!  •  No  one  is  going  to  challenge  them.  •  Russian,  Chinese,  Iraqi  leaders  did/do  this  •  Sculptors/artists  were  executed  if  they  got  it  wrong  •  Here’s  a  sculptor  who  got  the  sculpture  just  right  •  “The  hands  mocked  them”—most  dictators  have  their  hands  out    

       •  “On  the  pedestal”—the  dictator  has  to  be  elevated  =  god-­‐like  •  Moral  of  the  story:  ironically:  he’s  DEAD—his  very  attempt  to  preserve  his  image  was  in  vain  •  Same  image  now  being  covered  by  sand;  great  stone  buried  by  particulate  matter  •  Poem  outlasted  the  sculpture