Ozymandias

Question 1

The title

Answer 1

‘Ozymandias’
Infers he is the controller of life
‘Ozy’- means air (suggests that everybody relies on Ozymandias to live, just like they rely on air to breathe).
‘Mandias’- means rule, he is the ruler of all things, this suggests he is a natural leader.

Question 2

Visual rhyme

Answer 2

Used throughout to create an awkward and unexpected feel to the poem, as it doesn’t flow. This makes the reader doubt Ozymandias’ power, as the weak structure could be a reflection of this.

Question 3

Sonnet

Answer 3

The poem is a sonnet structure, which is typically used in romantic poems - this could mock and ridicule Ozymandias’ self love, making the poem ironic.

Question 4

Semantic field: Power and dominance

Answer 4

'Command'
'My works'
'Sneer'
'King of kings'
'Pedestal'
'Heart that fed'

Question 5

Semantic field: destruction and ruin

Answer 5

Developed through abstract noun “decay”, which is a concept of the ruin that Ozymandias caused through his brutal control and arrogance.

Question 6

Changing tone

Answer 6

‘Met’, ‘shattered’, ‘is’ - these show a shift from the past tense to the present tense shows the passing of time, creating a tone of reminiscence for Ozymandias.

Question 7

‘Cold Command’

Answer 7

Gives a sense of superiority, power and a demanding verb.

The adjective ‘Cold’ could represent the coldness of Ozymandias himself.

Question 8

‘My Works’

Answer 8

‘My’ is a possessive pronoun, which highlights his arrogance and how he takes ownership of everything.

Question 9

‘Sneer’

Answer 9

A threatening noun, is a physical representation of his attempt to bully people, using his ego and attitude. His type of rulership is more of a dictatorship.
This noun displays the old king to be superior to others and to have the power to mock inferiors with disgust.
The word is mocking, disgustful, animalistic and offensive.

Question 10

‘King of kings’

Answer 10

Biblically, God is the king of all kings - as he is physically the created of life. Calling himself this is comparing his powers to God and challenging him.
This also infers he has ultimate power over everyone, including kings themselves.
Shows him to be arrogant and to have intense self confidence.
AVP: Ozymandias is an Egyptian Pharo, believed to be half God, half man - the physical embodiment of the God Horus - who is believed to be king of kings.

Question 11

‘Pedestal’

Answer 11

Condescending and patronising, focuses on his forced authority and is a physical representation of the greatness he believes he possesses.
This is also a religious reference to Ozymandias being god and worshipped by the population because of his extreme strength.
Physically raises him above everyone else.

Question 12

‘Colossal Wreck’

Answer 12

Metaphorical for Ozymandias and the “wreck” that was caused by his leadership.
Colossal= extreme, overpowering (what Ozymandias thought he was).
All good things will eventually fall, shows him trying to be bigger than he is.
Gives a realistic tone.

Question 13

‘Shattered’

Answer 13

Shows Ozymandias’ memory to be meaningless and broken, highlighting the hatred he had as a leader.
LINK- ‘lifeless’, shows his extreme power to be dead and gone, could be showing that there was no power to begin with, it was all in his head.
He is now fragile, worthless and ‘lifeless’ to the people, a ghost of what he once thought he was.