Ozymandias

Question 1

what is the poem about (4)

Answer 1

1 narrator meets a traveller who tells him about a statue in the middle of the dessert (second hand account)
2 The statue is of a king who ruled an ancient civilisation
3 The face of the king is proud and he arrogantly boasts of how powerful he is is in the inscription on the base of the statue
4 the statue has fallen down and crumbled so only ruins remain

Question 2

what form does the poem take (3)

Answer 2

1 It is a sonnet -
2 no regular rhyme scheme
3 iambic pentameter is disrupted which may symbolise the broken imperfect statue

Question 3

what is the structure of the poem (2)

Answer 3

1 The narrator builds up an image by focussing on different parts in turn
2 The poem ends by describing the enormous dessert which helps sum up the statues insignificance

Question 4

what is context of the poem (4)

Answer 4

1 Shelly is a romantic poet believing in the power of nature
2 shelly disliked the monarchy
3 Shelly had a strong political view inspired by the French Revolution
4 Ozymandias was the Ancient Greek name for Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses!! who believed he was a God in a mortal form

Question 5

What is the poets message (3)

Answer 5

1 Political power and human achievement are temporary
2 mans power is easily lost
3 art has the power to preserve parts of human existence that would have been destroyed

Question 6

what are the key quotes (8)

Answer 6

1 I met a traveller from an antique land who said - makes it third person and create distance it is not the narrator critising monarchy or government
2 sneer of cold command- harsh alliteration emphasises the pharaohs dismissive attitude
3 king of kings - arrogant declaration asks the onlooker and other kings to admire his work and despair
4 nothing beside remains - turning point mid line shifts focus from statue in desert to breakdown of power
5 boundless and bare the lone and level sands stretch far away - nature has reclaimed the land once belonged to the ruler. nature is more powerful than humanity
6 mocked- creates humour could mean the sculptor made fun of Ozymandias through the statue
7look at my works ye mighty and despair - shows arrogance Ozymandias challenges other rulers and assumes they will “despair” when they see his work
8 two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand on the dessert- this shows loss of power the “vast “ statue was once a symbol of power but now all that is left is ruins

Question 7

Links to another poem

Answer 7

my last duchess

Question 8

How does it link to my last duchess (4)

Answer 8

1 art presented as a symbol of power in both poems
2 vast statue of Ozymandias and the dukes art collection represent their wealth and status
3 both pieces of art represent arrogance because they are both keen for others to look on and notice their artwork “ the curtain I have drawn for you”
4 Ozymandias’ statue was a symbol of his power is reduced to a wreck and shows his power has been lost in contrast after showing the portrait of his last duchess to his visitor (a sign of his lasting power over her) the duke shows a statue of “Neptune though taming a sea horse” perhaps warning he will tame the next duchess if necessary

Question 9

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