< Ozymandias is a famous poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
- The poem teaches that power, pride, and success do not last forever.
- The speaker says that he met a traveller from an old country.
- The traveller tells him about a broken statue he saw in a large desert.
- Only the two huge stone legs of the statue are still standing.
- The broken face of the statue lies half buried in the sand.
- The face has an angry look, wrinkled lips, and a proud smile, showing that the king was proud and loved to rule others.
- These expressions show that the king was powerful, proud, and harsh.
- The sculptor (artist) was very skilled and carefully carved the king's feelings into the stone.
- Even though the statue is broken, the artist's work can still be seen.
- There is a message written on the base of the statue:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
- In these words, Ozymandias says that he is the greatest king.
- He believes that no other ruler can match his greatness.
- He also thinks that his kingdom and achievements will last forever.
- But the truth is very different.
- Nothing of his great kingdom is left.
- Only the broken statue remains in the empty desert.
- The endless sand around the statue shows that time has destroyed everything.
- The difference between the king's proud words and the broken statue makes the poem ironic.
- The poem teaches that time and nature are stronger than even the greatest rulers.
- It reminds us that power, money, and fame do not last forever.
- The poem also shows that art can last longer than kings and kingdoms, because the sculptor's work still remains.
- Shelley's message is that we should be humble, because no human power can last forever.>
[XI CAPSULE NOTES XI EASY NOTES XI RESOURCES XI PPTs ]