Question 1: What does the image of the 'shattered visage' suggest about Ozymandias’s empire?

Answer: It suggests that his empire has fallen into ruin and is no longer powerful.

Question 2: Identify and explain the poetic technique used in the phrase 'boundless and bare'.

Answer: Alliteration; it emphasizes the emptiness and desolation of the landscape.

Question 3: How does Shelley utilise irony in the inscription on the pedestal?

Answer: The inscription claims Ozymandias is a mighty king whose works inspire awe, but the surrounding ruins contradict this, highlighting the impermanence of human achievements.

Question 4: Identify and analyse the use of metaphor in the phrase 'the hand that mocked them'.

Answer: The phrase uses metaphor to suggest that the sculptor's hand 'mocked' Ozymandias's command, implying a form of artistic critique or rebellion that undermines Ozymandias's authority.

Question 5: Describe the tone of the poem based on the extract.

Answer: The tone is reflective and somber, emphasizing the transient nature of power and human achievements.

Question 6: Which poetic device is evidenced in the line 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings'? And what is its effect?

Answer: Repetition; it emphasizes Ozymandias’s claim to supreme authority.

Question 7: What is the overall message about human power conveyed by the poem?

Answer: The poem suggests that human power is fleeting and ultimately insignificant in the face of time and nature.

Question 8: Analyse how Shelley’s structure in the extract contributes to the poem’s themes.

Answer: Shelley's use of a sonnet structure, with a volta around line 9, shifts from describing Ozymandias’s pride to the recognition of decay, reinforcing themes of impermanence and the futility of arrogance.

Question 9: Creative Writing: Imagine you are a historian visiting the ruins of Ozymandias’s empire. Write a short speech (about 25 lines) reflecting on what these ruins reveal about the past and the future.

Answer: