Wednesday 7 March 2012

Ozymandias – Percy Bysshe Shelley



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

One of the all time great sonnets.  Ozymandias was another name for Rameses The Great - Pharaoh of Egypt.





5 comments:

  1. Woah......This is a very nice poem....but I don't understand it quite to well,I personally think this poem is about a pirate?,but still it's entertaining and enjoyable😊👍.Im a fan of Egypt I like history..A lot :).

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    1. It is one of the great poems - about a previously powerful ruler's statue going into ruin and showing how power can pass away. Thanks for your comment.

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  2. My favourite Shelley poem is Ode to a West Wind. Do you know it? http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15693. I used to see the line "if winter comes can spring be far behind" everyday in the tube station on the way to work.

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    1. Yep, that's a goodie too. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.

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  3. I have to admit I've never heard of Miss Shelley, but I do like the poem. I've tried writing poetry but it was all pretty embarrassing...
    My favorite poem is Robert Frost's Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, especially the verse: "I've got promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep".

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