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NOTES ON SHELLEY’S POEMS “Ozymandias” • Because of the discovery and translation of the Rosetta Stone, the science of Egyptology was founded
• Sparked a renewed interest in Egypt • Ozymandias = Ramses II = pharaoh of Egypt (same one depicted in The Ten Commandments)
• Describes an enormous statue that has crumbled • Who is supervising this? Ramses had ordered it, like any good dictator • Built for political reasons: the intimidation of ambassadors, visitors, invaders
• What does that say about the leaders? Power! • No one is going to challenge them. • Russian, Chinese, Iraqi leaders did/do this • Sculptors/artists were executed if they got it wrong • Here’s a sculptor who got the sculpture just right • “The hands mocked them”—most dictators have their hands out
• “On the pedestal”—the dictator has to be elevated = god-‐like • Moral of the story: ironically: he’s DEAD—his very attempt to preserve his image was in vain • Same image now being covered by sand; great stone buried by particulate matter • Poem outlasted the sculpture