Rames The Great Susan Hayward Meaning

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More Important Things Susan Hayward, iconic American actress, accurately claimed that "no one will truly remember [her] after death, anyhow, what stays important is the good a person accomplishes during life, instead of how long they will be remembered." (Hayward,*1) Ozymandius, a poem penned by Percy Byshhe Shelley in 1817, agrees with Susan Hayward's infamous quote in all aspects. During the Revolutionary War, Ozymandius is written with the intention of addressing King George III. Within the poem, the narrator relays that the only thing left to remember of Ramses the Great, the Egyptian Pharaoh, is the eroded remains of his statue, Ozymandius. This great memorial, ordered to be erected by the conceited king to exalt himself, happens to be …show more content…

According to history, Ramses the Great never expected fallen remains to be his only predecessor and token of appreciation. However, "half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies'" in the place of where his great example of glory should have stood firm. (Line 4) Irony is clearly exalted in the fact that the face he has meant to look down upon spectators now lies buried in sand. The prideful king expects the statue of himself to glorify him but instead, the memoir is a source of mockery to his reputation. The fallen face reminds readers of the iconic catchphrase, "Pride comes before the fall." The fact that the sculptor carefully considered the precision of facial expression for the statue is an additional source of situational irony. The face that is peering out of the grimy sand displays a "wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command." (Line 5) One expects this haughty emotion to remain on a mighty being, instead of a mocked, unappreciated king. Intended as condescending, the facial expression contrasts greatly to its position of shame among dirty granules of sand. The obvious situational irony throughout the entire poem sets the tone for warning the English king that appreciation and remembrance is extremely

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