1. Focus on the Individual:
Romanticism emphasized the importance of individual experience and imagination.
* "Ozymandias" centers on a solitary figure, an unnamed traveler recounting their encounter with the crumbling remains of a statue.
2. Sublime and awe:
Romantics were drawn to experiences that evoked intense emotions, often inspired by nature's grandeur or overwhelming forces.
* The described vast desert and grand yet shattered statue create a sense of the sublime, as nature reclaims the remnants of human dominion.
3. Nature's Enduring Presence:
Romantics revered the power and permanence of nature compared to human endeavors.
* "Ozymandias" conveys the transient nature of power and glory as nature relentlessly wears down the traces of Ozymandias' empire.
4. Critique of Power and Vanity:
Romantic poets often critiqued societal flaws and challenged authority that oppressed human freedom or violated natural harmony.
* The poem satirizes the arrogance and vanity of those who seek undying fame, highlighting the futility of human conquests in the face of time's inexorable passage.
5. Use of Imagery and symbolism:
Rich poetic imagery and symbolic language were hallmark of romantic poetry.
* "Ozymandias" abounds in vivid imagery- the shattered visage, lone and level sands" – intensifying the poem's symbolic depiction of fallen pride and decay.
6. Fragmentation and Ruins:
The Romantic fascination with remnants of past glories manifests in Shelley's treatment of the ruined statue-a fragment that hints at larger narratives.
"Ozymandias" encapsulate essential aspects of the Romantic Era , emphasizing individualism, critique of power , celebration of nature , and introspection, and ultimately highlighting the enduring power of art and poetry against the erosion of time