"Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Irony 👑 - GCSE & English Literature Learning & Revision

In this episode, we’ll explore the literary devices in Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, with a focus on irony and satire. We’ll examine how the crumbling statue highlights the contrast between Ozymandias’s belief in his eternal power and the reality of its decay. We’ll also look at the authoritative tone he used when commissioning the statue, now surrounded by emptiness. Plus, we’ll analyse the poem’s structure as a sonnet and how it subtly mocks Ozymandias’s self-importance. Finally, we’ll consider the impact of the second-hand account and how it reinforces the ruler’s insignificance.Don't miss out on subscribing for more educational content tailored to help you succeed in your exams. Perfect for AQA, OCR, Edexcel, CIE and WJEC exam boards.⁠Click here to see all of our GCSE English Literature content!