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European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 699
Supremacy of Literary Art in Shakespeare’s Not Marble Nor the
Gilded Monuments and Shelley’s Ozymandias
Rakesh Kumar, Mahendergarh
Abstract
The paper aims to analyse the supremacy of literary art in
Shakespeare’s sonnet Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments and
Shelley‟s Ozymandias. This is true to both of these famous sonnets
that literary art is superior to anything else. The Elizabethan poet
Shakespeare and the Romantic poet Shelley reflect their love for
literary art and conviction in the power of rhyme. The forme09r
wishes to make his friend immortal through his powerful lines of
verse. He says that he will mention all the better qualities of his
friend in his poem and in this way, his friend will live forever in the
lines of his verse. The very title of the poem makes it clear what the
poet intends to do and what not. Similarly, Shelley in Ozymandias
shows the futility of the statue. The image of the king, Ozymandias
survives only in Ozymandias, the literary piece of writing i.e., the
poem. Although, the statue of the haughty and cruel king is lying
broken in the sand in the middle of the desert, yet the literary art
makes it alive for good.
Introduction
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European Journal of Business &
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ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
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Literary art is the literary creation, a skill in writing. Both
Shakespeare and Shelley were great artists, wide in range and
scope. Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments is one of the most
splendid sonnets written by William Shakespeare, the greatest poet
and playwright in the English language. This sonnet is No. 55 in the
sequence of the poet’s sonnets and is very popular. William
Shakespeare in this famous sonnet pays a tribute to the quality and
power of his art which outlives great work of architecture and even
gilded monuments and strongly built statues. The poet remarks
that he will praise his friend, the Earl of Southampton in the lines
of his poetry. Time is a great destroyer and cares for none and even
takes away the beauty of all things. The poet personifies Time and
uses epithet, Sluttish to qualify it. He compares it with an immoral
woman, perhaps to take into consideration the quality of
unfaithfulness. Time leaves one’s side and is never stationary but
ever changing. The poet shows his concern for the possibility of an
impending disaster to hit humanity. The obvious reference is to war
that can rob the glory of all others art work i.e. masonry.
However, even war cannot destroy the power of written words. Here
lies the irony in the fact that paper is perishable but not the poetry
which outlives stone and marble monuments. The poet
Shakespeare even goes to the extent of saying that even after his
beloved is dead, praise for him shall find a place in history and in
this way he will live in the eyes of the coming generations. To the
Page 3 of 5
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 701
poet his “Fair Lord” is a pure spirit who will never be blackened on
the day of judgement and therefore his friend will remain immortal
in his literary art. Wars brings with them death and destruction.
But even time and war will have no effect on the living record of his
rhyme. On contrary, all gold plated monuments built by kings and
princes to show their power, wealth and glory will be destroyed with
the passage of time. The true and beautiful words written by the
poet in the memory of his friend will live eternal. Ozymandias is one
of Percy Bysshe Shelley‟s best known poems written between
December 1817 and January 1818 and was probably the result of
the sonnet competition between Shelley and his friend Horace
smith. Shelley‟s poem takes it little from the Egyptian king
Ramesses II, Known to the Greeks by the name Ozymandias.
The king in Shelley’s Ozymandias got his statue built to immortalize
himself. He was cruel, arrogant tryrant and haughty and had no
love and concern for his subjects. The sculptor created the real
image of the king.
“And wrinkled lip, and snear of cold command.
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read”.
The expression on the face of the statue showed how cruel and
obstinate fellow the king was. He believed that no one could equal
him in glory and achievements and called himself the kings of kings
