Everyone has made mention of time and it's importance to the piece, but they were missing an essential element. Truth! Truth remains constant throughout time, regardless to its applications. (please avoid relativistic conceptions of truth)
I like to think that the poem demonstrates the reality we find when we lookat something which is a physical symbol (statue in this case)
A King is an unchecked power. What he says goes. Period.
Many can think of the use of Propaganda employed by Augustus in his statue in which we see him in his prime but he is actually quite old when he is ruling.
If a King orders that a statue be created of him in a specific way, he is unchallenged in his idea, as there is noone to say, "no your majesty I think we should do it this way" or "your way is bad" therefore, there can be potential for a discrepency between THAT WHICH THE KING SPEAKS OF and THAT WHICH IT REALLY WAS. Essentially, truth. What he says versus what he does.
If a King did what he said he did, his kingdom would be eternal. For he ruled the people properly and there would be no reason for it to end. It would serve as they archetypal civilzation and others would aspire to model theirs after it.
However, for any reasons possible, if the King does not rule it truthfully and correctly, it shall fall, as it must withstand the test of time.
Perhaps you might want to think of Jesus and his idea of an eternal Kingdom and how one should rule it...
2006-08-21
Added by: jodon
my dear mike, it is actually spelled Ramesses-small knit i know but accuracy is everything!!
tah!
ozymandias meaning
2006-08-23
Added by: different Sara
At the time Shelly was writing a considerable amount on the tyrany of England's Monarchy. A number of the ironic quips add both lightness to the poem as well as a nice stab in the eye of the then UK gov't. It's in part a comment on how, yes, things *do* change, but also a note about how the mighty fall, and fall badly, and how there are no mourners. In fact, there are more celebrations at the fallen statue than tears. Check out his current context for a bit, it will pull in a whole new level.
CORRECT RHYME SCHEME
2006-09-26
Added by: kris
ABABABACDCEDEFEF is the rhyme scheme even through Shelley uses half-rhyme like stone/frown and appear/bare
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I like to think that the poem demonstrates the reality we find when we lookat something which is a physical symbol (statue in this case)
A King is an unchecked power. What he says goes. Period.
Many can think of the use of Propaganda employed by Augustus in his statue in which we see him in his prime but he is actually quite old when he is ruling.
If a King orders that a statue be created of him in a specific way, he is unchallenged in his idea, as there is noone to say, "no your majesty I think we should do it this way" or "your way is bad" therefore, there can be potential for a discrepency between THAT WHICH THE KING SPEAKS OF and THAT WHICH IT REALLY WAS. Essentially, truth. What he says versus what he does.
If a King did what he said he did, his kingdom would be eternal. For he ruled the people properly and there would be no reason for it to end. It would serve as they archetypal civilzation and others would aspire to model theirs after it.
However, for any reasons possible, if the King does not rule it truthfully and correctly, it shall fall, as it must withstand the test of time.
Perhaps you might want to think of Jesus and his idea of an eternal Kingdom and how one should rule it...