In changing the time period of slavery and by using irony, Shelley is able to depict a slavery as an institution that ultimately serves no useful purpose; it only manifests hate, something of which this world does not need anymore.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Percy Bysshe Shelley
In his poem "Ozymandias" Percy Bysshe Shelley appears to be crying out against slavery. The traveller speaks of a formerly extraordinary monument of Ozymandias, or Ramses II, the same king of Egypt during the exile of the Israelite slaves. Of all the hard work put into his monument by the Hebrew slaves, the ultimate result of the mighty monument are "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone [that]/Stand in the desart....Near them on the sand,/Half sunk, a shattered visage lies" (lines 2-4). The irony in the poem is also relevant to the meaning. The words on the pedestal of the monument depict a "King of Kings" (line 10), yet the monument is now broken and in disrepair, much like the king's reputation. At least in the Christian and Jewish worlds, Ozymandias is remembered as a cruel and selfish king who absolutely refused to give the Israelites their freedom. In using Ozymandias, Shelley is able to show a slave master that no good Christian or Jew respects and an event in history that shows slavery as something that, in the end, does not really bring glory, just "lone and level sands [that] stretch far away" (line 14).
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4 comments:
Rachel,
It was refreshing to see your analysis of "Ozymandias" as we came up to a totally different point of view. I have thought more about the King's (over) pride being punished by nature as he was defying it. Slavery might have been what Shelley talked about. We will never really know I assume. But it seems like Shelley was showing the confidence and insolence of the King more than the image of the slaves having built his statue. Great job at explaining your point of view that is totally respectable and made me think about mine even more. I enjoy being challenged to think different ways therefore thank you for this post!!
Rachel,
Good poem to discuss--"Ozymandias" is my favorite by Shelley (at least of the ones in our anthology). I am not sure the text supports you connection to the slave trade (either ancient or modern), though. Is there any evidence in the poem you can point to? While there were poets writing against the English slave trade, I don't recall Shelley ever being one of them.
It was interesting to read your analysis of "Ozymandias" in which your thesis surrounds the crying out against slavery. I, also did a blog on this poem but I had approached it from a different angle. That is the whole beauty of poems/sonnets, everyone has their own interpretation. I spoke about the rise, peak and fall of this king. The king who thought that his name would live on forever, and had such pride, self-confidence or aggrogance, which results in fatal retribution. Now all that is left of his kingdom is a broken image in the sand.
Thanks for sharing and for giving me the opportunity to approach Shelly's work from a different percpective.
Rachel,
How interesting. I will have read that more carefully. I was so focused on the vanity and lack of humility of the King that I missed the slavery connection. Thank you for your insight.
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