Ozymandias -by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ozymandias

-by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveler 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.

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Bengali Translation

আমি এক ভ্রমণকারীকে দেখেছিলাম, যিনি বলেছিলেন,
একটি প্রাচীন দেশ থেকে এসেছেন।
তিনি বললেন: “দ্বারা বিস্তৃত এবং বিশাল, পাথরের দুটি পা
বালির মধ্যে দাঁড়িয়ে আছে। তাদের কাছে, বালিতে,
অর্ধেক ডুবে, একটি ভাঙা মুখাবয়ব পড়ে আছে, যার মুখাবধান
এবং কুঁচকানো ঠোঁট, ঠান্ডা আদেশের হাসি
এবং তীব্র রাগের প্রকাশ,
যা তার খোদকালে ভালোভাবে অনুধাবিত হয়েছিল।
এটি আজও জীবিত, মরে যাওয়া জিনিসগুলির উপর মুদ্রিত।
এটা তার হাত, যা সেই মুখাবয়বের তামাশা করেছিল এবং
এটি ছিল তার হৃদয়, যা সেই বাহাদুরি সহকারে খাওয়াত।
এবং মঞ্চের উপর, এই কথাগুলি লেখা ছিল:
আমার নাম ‘ওজিম্যান্ডিয়াস’, রাজাদের রাজা;
আমার কর্ম দেখো, তোমরা শক্তিশালী, এবং হতাশ হও!
কিন্তু এর পাশে কিছুই অবশিষ্ট নেই।
সেই বিশাল ধ্বংসাবশেষের চারপাশে,
অন্তহীন এবং শূন্য,
একাকী এবং সমতল বালির স্তর দূরে বিস্তৃত ।

Analysis and Meaning:

• The Traveler’s Tale: The traveler describes a ruined statue of a once-great king, Ozymandias. The king’s once proud monument has now been reduced to rubble by the ravages of time, symbolizing the impermanence of human achievements and empires.
• The Message: The inscription on the pedestal declares the king’s greatness, but irony lies in the fact that nothing of his empire remains. The message “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” is mocked by the surrounding emptiness, suggesting that even the mightiest of rulers will eventually be forgotten.
• Theme: The poem explores the themes of hubris, the transitory nature of power, and the inevitable decay of human accomplishments. Despite all the grandeur of Ozymandias’s reign, time has erased his legacy.

In Bengali, this meaning is conveyed as a warning about the fleeting nature of human ambition and pride, echoing that no matter how powerful someone may be, time will eventually wear away their achievements and their glory will fade.

Summary:  “Ozymandias” is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, first published in 1818. The poem explores the theme of the impermanence of human power and the inevitable decline of all empires. In the poem, a traveler describes a ruined statue he encountered in the desert. The statue’s legs are broken and half-buried in sand, while the shattered face lies nearby. The inscription on the pedestal boasts of Ozymandias, the king who once ruled with power and pride, declaring that he is the “king of kings” and that other rulers should despair at his greatness. However, the surrounding desolation and the ruined state of the statue reveal that his empire has long since fallen into ruin, showing how time has erased even the most mighty of rulers and their works. Through this contrast, Shelley reflects on the futility of human pride and the transience of power, emphasizing that no matter how grand one’s achievements may seem, they are subject to the ravages of time.

Theme: The theme of Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley centers on the fleeting nature of power and human pride. It highlights the inevitable decay of all empires and monuments, illustrating how time erases even the greatest rulers and their achievements, leaving only ruins as a reminder of their arrogance.

In the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the use of metaphors and similes enhances the themes of time, power, and decay. Here are some key examples:

Metaphors in “Ozymandias”:

1. “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings;”
   • This line itself is a metaphor. Ozymandias refers to himself as the “king of kings,” which suggests his supreme power and authority. However, it is ironic because, despite his boast, his empire is long gone, and his statue lies in ruins. The metaphor contrasts his former grandeur with his current desolation.
2. “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
   • This phrase is also a metaphor. Ozymandias is addressing future rulers or mighty individuals, urging them to “look on his works” as a testament to his greatness. However, the irony is that his “works” are reduced to ruins, making the concept of “works” a metaphor for power that is fleeting and temporary.
3. “Nothing beside remains.”
   • The phrase “nothing beside remains” metaphorically conveys the total loss and futility of human ambition. It implies that all that was once powerful and significant has vanished, leaving only remnants of a forgotten past.

Similes in “Ozymandias”:

1. “And on the pedestal, these words appear: / My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
   • While these lines are not strictly a simile, they reflect the ironic comparison between Ozymandias’ boastful words and the reality of his ruined statue, as though comparing the difference between what he intended and what remains.
2. “The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
   • This line uses a simile-like structure to compare the “lone and level sands” to an expansive, barren landscape that emphasizes the insignificance of Ozymandias’ empire. It suggests a wasteland where nothing is left, akin to the erasure of history or memory.

Shelley’s metaphors and similes in “Ozymandias” evoke the transient nature of human power and achievements, reminding readers that time and nature inevitably erode even the grandest monuments to pride and glory.

Other literary devices: 

The poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley is rich with literary devices that contribute to its themes of time, power, and the fleeting nature of human achievement. Here are some key literary terms used in the poem:

1. Alliteration

• Definition: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity.
• Example: “Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare.” The repetition of the “b” sound in “boundless” and “bare” emphasizes the emptiness and desolation surrounding the statue.

2. Irony

• Definition: A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting the discrepancy between appearance and truth.
• Example: The inscription on the pedestal reads, “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” This is ironic because the “works” of Ozymandias have crumbled into ruins, suggesting that even the most powerful rulers are ultimately defeated by time.

3. Imagery

• Definition: The use of vivid or descriptive language to appeal to the senses and create a mental picture.
• Example: “And on the pedestal, these words appear: / My name is Ozymandias, king of kings.” The description of the broken statue and the barren desert evokes a powerful image of decay and desolation.

4. Symbolism

• Definition: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
• Example: The statue itself symbolizes human pride and ambition, while the surrounding ruins represent the transience of power and the inevitable decay of all things.

5. Metaphor

• Definition: A figure of speech that describes an object or action as something other than what it is.
• Example: The “colossal wreck” refers not just to a broken statue, but to the idea that all empires and achievements, no matter how grand, will eventually fall into ruin.

6. Allusion

• Definition: A reference to another text, event, or figure, often from history or mythology.
• Example: Ozymandias refers to Ramses II, a powerful Egyptian pharaoh, alluding to the long-gone grandeur of ancient civilizations.

7. Personification

• Definition: The attribution of human qualities to non-human things.
• Example: “The lone and level sands stretch far away.” The “sands” are given human-like qualities, stretching far away as though they are reaching toward something, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

8. Juxtaposition

• Definition: The placement of two elements side by side to highlight their differences.
• Example: The juxtaposition of the mighty king’s boastful inscription with the image of his broken statue emphasizes the contrast between human pride and nature’s indifference.

9. Oxymoron

• Definition: A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
• Example: The term “colossal wreck” combines the idea of something large and imposing with the image of destruction, highlighting the ironic nature of the statue’s fate.

10. Enjambment

• Definition: The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
• Example: “And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, / Tell that its sculptor well those passions read.” The sentence flows beyond the line breaks, creating a sense of continuity and reinforcing the permanence of the emotion captured in the statue.

These literary devices work together to enhance the poem’s theme of the impermanence of human achievement and the ultimate triumph of time over power.

Here are some short questions and answers based on the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

1. Q: Who wrote the poem “Ozymandias”? A: Percy Bysshe Shelley.
2. Q: What is the central theme of the poem “Ozymandias”? A: The central theme is the transient nature of power and the inevitability of decay.
3. Q: Where does the poem “Ozymandias” take place? A: The poem takes place in a vast desert, where the ruins of Ozymandias’s statue lie.
4. Q: Who is Ozymandias? A: Ozymandias is the king of an ancient civilization, known for his arrogance and pride.
5. Q: What does the inscription on the pedestal of Ozymandias’s statue say? A: The inscription says: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
6. Q: What is ironic about the condition of the statue in the poem? A: The statue is broken and ruined, which is ironic because Ozymandias’s inscription suggests his greatness, yet his empire has crumbled.
7. Q: What remains of the statue of Ozymandias? A: Only the legs and a shattered face remain, with a “sneer of cold command” visible on the face.
8. Q: How does the traveler describe the scene? A: The traveler describes seeing the ruins of the statue in the desert, emphasizing its decay and the irony of Ozymandias’s boastful words.
9. Q: What does the poem suggest about the nature of human achievements? A: The poem suggests that all human achievements, no matter how grand, are temporary and will eventually fade away.
10. Q: What is the significance of the desert in the poem? A: The desert symbolizes the emptiness and desolation that has overtaken the once-great empire of Ozymandias.