Ozymandias Flashcards
Percy Shelley
Q: What is the theme of Percy Shelley’s “Ozymandias”?
A: The theme of transience or the fleeting nature of power and human achievements.
Q: What form does “Ozymandias” take?
A: It is a mixture of a Petrarchan sonnet and a Shakespearean sonnet which shows that even literary conventions are subject to evolution.. , a fourteen-line poem metered in iambic pentameter, with the rhyme scheme ABABACDCEDEFEF.
Q: Who is Ozymandias in the poem?
A: Ozymandias is the Greek name for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.
Q: What is the central metaphor in “Ozymandias”?
The shattered, ruined statue in the desert wasteland serves as a metaphor for the transitory nature of power and human vanity.
Q: What is the significance of the “cold command” described in “Ozymandias”?
A: It reflects the arrogance and authority of Ozymandias, captured in the facial expression of the statue.
Q: How does Shelley use irony in “Ozymandias”?
He uses irony to contrast Ozymandias’s boastful inscription with the decrepit reality of the ruined statue, underscoring the ultimate transience of political power.
Q: What is the volta in “Ozymandias”?
A: The volta occurs between lines 8 and 9, where the perspective shifts from the traveler describing the statue to Ozymandias himself.
How does Shelley use the setting of the desert landscape in “Ozymandias” to reinforce the poem’s theme?
A: The desolate desert landscape emphasizes the contrast between the once-mighty ruler and his crumbling legacy, highlighting the transient nature of power.
Q: What does the traveller’s recount of Ozymandias’s monomaniacal inscription reveal about the pharaoh’s character?
A: It reveals Ozymandias’s arrogance and belief in the lasting power of his accomplishments
: How does Shelley use the setting of the desert landscape in “Ozymandias” to reinforce the poem’s theme?
A: The desolate desert landscape emphasizes the contrast between the once-mighty ruler and his crumbling legacy, highlighting the transient nature of power.
Q: What is the central irony of “Ozymandias”?
A: The central irony is that Ozymandias’s perception of his own power is now mocked by the ruined state of his statue amidst the desert landscape, showing that no amount of power can withstand the passage of time.
Q: How does Shelley convey the idea that art outlasts the passage of time in “Ozymandias”?
A: He suggests that while rulers like Ozymandias may be forgotten, art endures, serving as a reminder of humanity’s achievements and follies
Q: How does Shelley employ the technique of synecdoche in “Ozymandias”?
A: He uses synecdoche when he refers to “the hand” and “the heart” of the sculptor to represent the craftsmanship and creative spirit behind the statue’s creation.
Q: What does the inscription “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” reveal about Ozymandias’s attitude in “Ozymandias”?
A: It reveals Ozymandias’s arrogant belief in the enduring power of his accomplishments and his desire to intimidate future generations with his legacy.
Q: How does Shelley use the image of “lone and level sands” to convey the theme of transience in “Ozymandias”?
A: The image of “lone and level sands” suggests the vastness and emptiness of the desert landscape, emphasizing the fleeting nature of human existence and the insignificance of earthly power.
