Ozymandias

Question 1

Ozymandias quotes

Answer 1

“Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies”: irony in the sense that an omnipotent king who tried hard to be remembered as a statue, has now been destroyed & forgotten. “Half sunk” implies the desert has consumed the statue (power of nature)
“Wrinkled lip” - the traveller’s mocking tone highlights how Ozymandias doesnt command the respect he once did
“Lone and level sands stretch far away” surrounding “colossal wreck, boundless and bare” - contrast between the vast, timeless desert & the statue shows how minor/temporary Ozymandias’ power was compared to the power of nature
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings” shows arrogance of man

Question 2

Structure of Ozymandias

Answer 2

Irregular rhyme scheme suggests lack of power/control of Ozymandias. HOWEVER the one long single stanza of the poem suggests Ozyamdias’ authority OR the overwhelming power of the desert

The poem is a sonnet but iambic pentameter is disrputed - reflecting how Ozymandias’ legacy was disrupted (by his statue being destroyed)

Question 3

Form of Ozymandias

Answer 3

There are 3 voices in the poem: the speaker, traveller, and Ozymandias. The speaker only hears of Ozymandias through a second-hand source, showing his fall from power

However, the inclusion of Ozymandias’ voice after centuries shows his everlasting legacy

The poem is a Sonnet - usually used for a serious, regal (important), noble concept - much like Ozymandias himself

Question 4

Context of Ozymandias

Answer 4

The poem is about Ramses the 2nd, anicient Egypt

Shelley disliked how the royal family set themselves up as superior & above everyone else - which is reflected in the poem and it’s revloutionary ideas