Question 1: What overall impression does the image of the ruined statue convey about human achievements in relation to time and technology?

Answer: It suggests that human achievements, even those symbolized by technology and grand monuments, are ultimately fleeting and subject to decay over time.

Question 2: Identify the poetic technique used in the phrase 'colossal Wreck' and explain its effect.

Answer: The phrase uses oxymoron by combining 'colossal' and 'wreck' to emphasise the grandeur and ruin, highlighting the contrast between achievement and decay.

Question 3: How does Shelley use imagery to comment on technological hubris?

Answer: Students should explore how the imagery of the shattered statue and the inscribed words reflect Shelley’s critique of human arrogance in technological or artistic accomplishments, suggesting that such symbols of power are ultimately temporary.

Question 4: What is the significance of the inscription 'Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!' in the context of technological progress?

Answer: It is ironically boastful, highlighting the contrast between the once-great achievements and their current ruin, suggesting that technological progress is fleeting.

Question 5: Analyse the use of the word 'antique' in the opening line. What does it imply about the traveller’s land and the theme of time?

Answer: It implies that the land and the achievements it contains are ancient, reinforcing the theme of the passage that all human creations are temporary and belong to the past.

Question 6: Explain how Shelley’s use of the phrase 'boundless and bare' contributes to the poem’s message about human hubris and technological ambition.

Answer: It emphasizes the emptiness and desolation surrounding the remains, symbolising the futility of excessive pride in human achievements.

Question 7: Discuss how the poem’s structure and rhyme scheme reinforce its themes.

Answer: Students should analyse the structured ABAB rhyme scheme creating a formal tone that contrasts with the chaotic decay, reinforcing the themes of ordered achievement versus inevitable decay.

Question 8: What techniques does Shelley use to evoke a sense of technological grandeur and subsequent downfall?

Answer: A) Imagery B) Irony C) Metaphor D) All of the above

Question 9: Creative Task: Imagine Ozymandias’s statue was a futuristic monument built with advanced technology. Describe what it might look like and what inscription it could carry to reflect modern achievements.

Answer: Student responses will vary but should include descriptions of futuristic materials, digital features, and an inscription that comments on technological progress and its impermanence.