Posted by LePoet on February 21, 19100 at 15:57:53:
In Reply to: Help on Ozymandias posted by Ari K. on January 11, 19100 at 02:52:36:
Dear Best-Beloved Neophite, (another word for yu to look up in yur dictionary)
'Ozy', from the Greek 'Ozium', meaning 'air' or 'breath'.
'Mandias', from 'Mandate' meaning 'to reside over', or 'to rule' or 'to over-see'.
In Essence: 'Ruler of Nothing' or 'Ruler of the Air' or 'I over-see nothing'.
Shelley wrote this poem, on a drunken party bet late one night, with 2 of his fellow poet friends, on the count of 3 they all had exactly 15 minutes to come up with a poem on the theme/subject of Egypt, where he had just come from, and one of the other dudes had travelled earlier that year. 'Ozymandias', as we know it, is the original, unedited version of that fun frolick. Needless to say, I think Shelley won the bet! There are NO COINCIDENCES with him. Every word, phrase, nuance, rhythm, is true genius -- and alot of times, as with any truly GREAT poet, also wrought with double-meaning. Ozy is one of my all time faves. Hope you enjoyed it.
P.S. (Percy Shelley; Perhaps Someday; Pathetic Sincerity, etc,etc): so: in yer opinion: who's the King of kings -- Ozy, or Mother Nature? (raised eybrow, on que)
AND: do yu think Shelley meant for US to look on Ozzy's works and despair, BECAUSE HE WAS SO POWERFUL, WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY COMPETE? or BECAUSE ALL THAT REMAINED OF THAT PATHETIC WRECK WAS...RUINS? or, THAT THE RUINED STATUE WAS SOMEHOW SPINX-LIKE PROPHETIC, AND IT WAS OZZY (Or his ghost) who was looking upon his own works and himself falling into despair...realizing his Life Lesson a millenium too late? or: 'look on my (works, ye mighty, and my) despair'. 'Look on my despair' (original meaning, 'to fall').You see? Shelley was so clever. Yu gotta read between the lines to get it. He is rarely blatant. always tongue-in-cheek. always clever. Word Wizzard.
~ Julian ;\