Ozymandias - Percy Shelley✔

Question 1

Significance of “a shatterd’d visage lies”

Answer 1

Creates a sense of irony - a king who believed so strongly in his own power and superiority and who tried so hard to present this image of greatness through his statue, has now been forgotten and destroyed by time - only a ‘shattered’ remain lies

Question 2

Significane of ‘wrinkled lip’?

Answer 2

Conjures the image of someone grimacing in disgust and contempt - thus displaying the kings disregard for his subjects, viewing them as inferior and below him - shelly can use this to show the danger of a single individual who can exploit and torture the people he rules

Question 3

Significance of ‘sneer’?

Answer 3

Mocking smile, remark or tone which connotes malicious cruelty and heartless - as if he is mocking his subjects and viewing them as if below him - this presents the king arrogance, confidence and sense of superiority

Question 4

Significance of ‘cold command’?

Answer 4

Reflective of Shelly’s own anti-violence stance as he was against all military exploits and thus also against ‘cold commands’ that initiate them

Question 5

Significance of ‘the hand that mock’d them’?

Answer 5

The artist’s work is mocking the king - sees glory in a statue that is criticizing, yet his confidence in his own supremacy means he overlooks any evidence of this - whilst this might not have been the sculptures intention to portray him negatively by simply modelling Ozymandias it was inevitable that his cruelty would show as it is such a large part of him

Question 6

Significance of ‘king of kings’?

Answer 6

This claim seems ironic to the reader when they are known only via a report of a traveller - Ozymandias’ pride and arrogance led to his perception of himself as king of all kings suggesting he views himself as omnipotent and god like

Question 7

Significance of ‘look on my works’?

Answer 7

King clearly expects his empire and kingdom to survive which is dramatic irony and shows how in time even the greatest of empires and achievements will become shattered remains

Question 8

Example of alliteration in the poem? Significance?

Answer 8

Alliteration ‘Boundless and bare’ exaggerates the emptiness of this once mighty and colossal kingdom

Question 9

Significance of the statue being ‘far away’?

Answer 9

The statue is in a ‘far away’ where it stands so insignificant and unrecognised that only travellers know it exists contrasts to the king claiming to be ‘king of kings’ but is not forgotten

Question 10

What is the perspective of the poem?

Answer 10

Written from first person perspective - the speaker is never revealed or named and can be considered an omniscient speaker

Question 11

What is the opening of the poem?

Answer 11

‘I met a traveller from an antique land’

Question 12

What is the rhyme scheme in the poem? Significance?

Answer 12

Irregular rhyme scheme contrasts with the single stanza as the former suggests a lack of power and control of the ruler whereas the single stanza suggests control - could reflect how different groups view war and conflict as either beneficial or detrimental to society

Question 13

What is the meter of the poem?

Answer 13

Iambic pentameter

Question 14

Significance of ‘lone and level’?

Answer 14

Alliteration which serves to communicate the vast, powerful extent of nature and its ability to outlive all other forms of power and deem them insignificant by comparison - also presents the desert as vast, monotonous and featureless

Question 15

What is consonance in poetry?

Answer 15

A resemblance in sounds between two words or an initial rhyme - eg peter’s potatoes were prepared to perfection

Question 16

Where is consonance used in the poem?

Answer 16

‘Cold commands’ repetition of harsh ‘c’ sounds helps reflect the callous lack of compassion the king has for his subjects and h ow oppressive his rule was

Question 17

example of juxtaposition used?

Answer 17

Colossal wreck