Ozymandias

Question 1

Context:
1. Author
2. Type of poet
3. religious views + 2 impacts
4. death
5. who about

Answer 1

1. Percy Byshe Shelley
2. Romantic poet
3. Wrote about atheism- expelled from Oxford + father disinherited him
4. died on a boat drowning
5. about Ramses II

Question 2

Ozymandias general:
1. summary
2. symbolism

Answer 2

1. Traveller tells narrator about a decaying statue of a ruler standing in the middle of the desert. The statue was of an arrogant king, who commisioned the statue of himself, thinking that he would be rememberd forever, but only the ruins remain.
2. used to criticise human power as the nature outlives the statue

one word title narrows focus onto one person

Question 3

Type of poem and line 9.
Effects of the octet and sestet

Answer 3

Petrachan sonnet + volta on line 9

octet (1-8) - describes the statue of Ozymandias in parts to mimic the fragments it lies in

sestet (9-14) - shift the perspective to the irony and insignificanceof the rule of Ozymandias.

Question 4

rhyme & impacts

Answer 4

no overall rhyme scheme- how power can be destroyed

some rhyme interspersed (away and decay / land and sand)- mimics the broken nature of the statue

Question 5

metre and impacts

Answer 5

iambic pentameter often disrupted to reflect the temporary nature of human power as it can be easily be destroyed.

Unatural rhythm- shows the depressing rain of Ozymandias

Question 6

narrator

Answer 6

second hand account distances reader with the statue- no personal emotion from Shelley, makes the reader even further against Ozymandias as he has been portrayed as an emotionless ruler- no empathy.

Question 7

I — a ——— from an ——- land
significance

Answer 7

I met a traveller from an antique land

Shows Shelley doesn’t know about Ozymandias, showing how unimportant he is- from the first line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, reinforcing the irrelevance of human power, also showing he disocciates from Ozymandias. Makes reader feel that Ozymandias’ tutealge was doomed.

Question 8

power of nature & setting:
‘stand in the ——’
‘the —- and —– —– —— far away’
features in quotes

Answer 8

stand in the desert - use of a desert setting suggests an absence of life as well as a solitary nature. leaves an absence of human life.
The lone and level sands stretch far away - alliteration used shows emptiness around statue as well as nothingness. creates an impression of a barren wasteland in the reader’s mind, indicating that Ozymandias’ statue left uncared for.

Overall, the desert is used to show it outlives Ozymandias, emphasising that the power of nature is greater than the power of humans, emphasising the insignificance of Ozymandias

Question 9

irony:

‘look on my —–, ye —— and ——-‘
‘——– beside remains. Round the —– Of that ——– —–’

significance (look and decay) + themes: power of humans and pride

Answer 9

look on my works, ye Might and despair
imperativeand stressed syllable of ‘look’ emphasises the arrogant, commanding tone and nature of the king ozymandias

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck
explicitly shows an uncared for statue decay but implicitly shows how nature has overcome the statue, demonstrating power of nature- nature > humans

Ironic statement- Ozymandias’ once grand statue is no longer standing showing how human power is temporary and how Ozymandias’ pride in his leadership is not reflected by others- highlighting the terror with which he ruled.

Question 10

’——- l–, and —– of c— c——-‘
‘My name is Ozymandias, —- of ——’

signifance + features + themes of pride

Answer 10

* wrinkled lip and, sneer of cold command*
shows the agressive nature of Ozymandias’ rule and the plosive alliteration used of cold command suggest everyone was in fear of him- bad ruler. alternatively shows the deformed nature of Ozymandias, depicting him as a deranged villain, also. sneering at his subjects showing he doesn’t respect his subjects. the tyranical nature of ozymandias is recognised by sculptor as he is the “hand that moock’d” him

My name is Ozymandias, king of kings
the hubristic, pride-filled nature of Ozymandias on the ‘pedestal’ shows that his excessive pride and delusion lead him to believe that he was the greatest. - power of humans can make themm arrogant and have too much pride

Question 11

how is pride presented

Answer 11

pride is a negative

1. excessive pride made him treat his subjects badly (cold command)- root of his decayed statue
2. pride made ozymandias think he was ‘king of kings’ ironic as now he is a ‘shatter’d visage- makes him fail
3. hubristic nature of ozymandias is emabrrassing- 2nd person narration = makes Shelley detached
4. pride made him arrogant