Topic Summaries

• Poet: Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)
• Year: 1818
• Form: Sonnet in iambic pentameter (three quatrains with a rhyming couplet at the end)
• Key techniques: Caesura, situational irony, vivid imagery, allegory

About the poet

Percy Bysshe Shelley was a poet known for his radical politics, lyrical mastery, philosophical depth, and reverence for nature. Born into an aristocratic family in Sussex, he attended Oxford University but was expelled in 1811 for publishing an essay called ‘The Necessity of Atheism.’ His unorthodox beliefs, including opposition to monarchy, organised religion, and social inequality, shaped both his personal life and literary works. In 1816 he married Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin who would go on to write Frankenstein as Mary Shelley, with contributions from Percy Shelley. Exiled from Britain in 1818 due to his radicalism, Shelley spent much of his life in Italy, where he befriended fellow poets Lord Byron and John Keats. His untimely death at 29 when he drowned in a boating accident cemented his status as a tragic literary figure. Though largely unappreciated during his lifetime, Shelley is now recognised as one of the greatest poets of the English Romantic movement.

Historical context

This poem was inspired by the recent discovery of a fragmentary statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias, which was being transported to the British Museum. The poem reflects the fascination of the Romantic era with ancient civilizations, particularly Egypt, which was being explored by European archaeologists. Shelley uses the poem to critique the fleeting nature of power, echoing contemporary political upheavals, such as the fall of Napoleon.

Literary context

‘Ozymandias’ is a sonnet that fits within the Romantic tradition, emphasising nature’s power over human achievements. The poem aligns with Shelley’s broader themes of political critique, the impermanence of human glory, and the limits of tyranny. It also reflects the ancient idea of memento mori – a Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you will die’ that serves as a reminder that life, power, and control are all temporary.

Key ideas

• Transience of power
• Hubris of tyrants
• Power of the natural world
• Man vs. nature