Ozymandias is a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. It is a reflection on the fleeting nature of power and the ultimate impermanence of all human achievements. The poem is written in the voice of a traveler who relates the story of a ruined statue of a once-great king, who called himself "Ozymandias." The statue is a crumbling, broken husk, with only the inscription on its pedestal remaining to tell the tale of its former greatness.
The poem begins with the line "I met a traveler from an antique land," and the rest of the poem is narrated by this traveler as they describe the statue they saw in the desert. The statue is described as "two vast and trunkless legs of stone," which stand in the desert as a testament to the fallen king's once-great power. The traveler goes on to describe the inscription on the pedestal, which reads: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
The inscription on the pedestal is a testament to the king's hubris and the delusions of grandeur that led him to believe he was a great and mighty ruler. However, the ruined statue serves as a stark reminder of the ultimate insignificance of human accomplishments. The statue and its inscription are all that remain of Ozymandias and his reign, and they are now nothing more than a distant memory, lost in the sands of time.
The poem ends with the lines "Nothing beside remains. Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away." These lines serve to reinforce the idea that all human achievements are ultimately fleeting and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The ruined statue of Ozymandias stands as a reminder of the transitory nature of power and the ultimate futility of trying to achieve lasting greatness.
In terms of an audio version of the poem, there are many options available online. Some versions are read by professional voice actors, while others are read by individuals with a passion for poetry. No matter which version you choose, the message of the poem remains the same: that all human achievements are ultimately fleeting and that we should be mindful of the transience of power and fame.
Ozymandias
Unfortunately, it has also produced highly-structured institutions and practices that not only impede, but reverse these life-enhancing qualities. Seen in the sharp contrasts between market economies and state socialism; the fundamental struggles are between the creative energies unleashed by liberty, and the repressive forces of politics. Instead however, he reads with an evenness in his voice. This book will challenge you to more deeply contemplate the ideals of liberty. If after reading this book you are not convinced that the fall of western civilization is upon us, don't grieve just yet! Shaffer can already see the seeds of such a transformation. I pick this spot to comment because of the rhyme scheme that I followed to categorize this poem as a sonnet.
. The way he puts emphasis on certain words to me, creates a very eerie feeling in this reading. The title may be foreboding, but for all that, the book is an uplifting and gratifying read. Shaffer explores the impact that institutionalism may have on the decline of civilization. It is immediately evident that the author has been writing on law, economics, and history for decades. Ozymandias of Egypt 1792 - 1822 LibriVox volunteers bring you sixteen different recordings of Ozymandias of Egypt, by Percy Bysshe Shelley. But it works and doesn't really affect what you are hearing or throw you off the rhyming anyways.
Ozymandias is a reminder of the fragile nature of every system—be it biological, institutional, or cosmic in character. Is it possible for us to energize our intelligence in order to rediscover, in the debris of our dying civilization, the requisite components for a fundamentally transformed culture grounded in free, peaceful, and productive systems that sustain rather than diminish life? It is difficult for intelligent minds to doubt that this current system is in the process of joining Ozymandias in the dust-bin of history. Shaffer's intellectual prowess and deep well of life experience enlightens and rouses introspection at every turn. In following chapters, he explains how they are destroyed by collectives which are good for little more than the destruction of what others have created. Genre s : Multi-version Weekly and Fortnightly poetry Language: English Section Chapter Reader Time 00:01:28 00:01:17 00:01:42 00:01:36 00:01:18 00:01:14 00:01:15 00:01:24 00:01:01 00:01:29 00:01:02 00:01:07 00:01:06 00:01:14 00:01:32 00:01:15. Butler Shaffer has, over the course of several years, written 51 wonderful essays observing the dissolution of Western culture and civilization.
Ozymandias : Hugh Hancock; Gordon McDonald : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
The aliteration and rhyme scheme work together to create a very nice-sounding poem. It instantly reminds me of monologues in movies of the 1950's. They have been assembled in the The Wizards of Ozymandias a captivating work full of entertaining epigrams and anecdotes, as well as enlightening commentary on current events, and historical episodes, that will keep you engaged and immersed from the first to last page. In the introduction Shaffer describes how civilizations are created by individuals. He actually sneered while reading. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of August 20th, 2006. Shaffer is optimistic that such a collapse could be the turning point for a social transformation toward a society that embraces individual liberty and private property, and that is free from collectivism and institutionalization.
Ozymandias of Egypt : Percy Bysshe Shelley : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
I felt like I was in the middle of a Lord of the Rings movie. As we are learning from the advanced course in history in which we seem now to be enrolled, this precariousness also applies to civilizations. Western culture has produced material and spiritual values that have done so much to humanize and civilize mankind. . . . .
