Question 1: What is the significance of the 'colossal wreck' in the context of the poem?

Answer: It symbolizes the inevitable decline of all human achievements and the transient nature of power.

Question 2: Describe how Shelley depicts Ozymandias's statue in the poem.

Answer: The statue is described with 'two vast and trunkless legs of stone' and a shattered face with a 'sneer of cold command,' emphasizing decay and arrogance.

Question 3: How does the poet use the imagery of the 'sneer of cold command' to convey Ozymandias's personality?

Answer: It highlights Ozymandias's arrogance and authoritarian attitude, suggesting his pride is now frozen in stone, but ultimately meaningless.

Question 4: Analyze the line 'Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' in terms of tone and irony.

Answer: The tone is boastful and commanding, but there's irony because the 'works' are now destroyed, highlighting the futility of Ozymandias's pride.

Question 1: Quote: 'Boundless and bare the lone and level sands stretch far away.' How does this imagery contribute to the theme of impermanence?

Answer: It creates a sense of vast emptiness and eternity, emphasizing the insignificance of human achievements against the unstoppable force of nature and time.

Question 2: Identify the language device in 'Sneer of cold command' and explain its effect.

Answer: Personification and alliteration; it emphasizes Ozymandias's arrogant attitude and makes the command seem icy and unfeeling.

Question 3: Quote: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings.' How does Shelley use this statement to reflect themes of pride and hubris?

Answer: It shows Ozymandias's boastful pride and desire for eternal fame, but the ruined state of his monument undermines this arrogance, illustrating the futility of such hubris.

Question 4: Quote explosion: 'The decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare,' analyze the connotations of 'decay' and 'boundless.'

Answer: The word 'decay' connotes deterioration and the passage of time, emphasizing impermanence. 'Boundless' suggests infinite space, reinforcing the idea that nature's power surpasses human achievements, which are ultimately insignificant.

Question 1: How does Shelley portray the idea of the transient nature of power in Ozymandias?

Answer: Shelley suggests that all human power is temporary and ultimately doomed to decay, symbolized by the ruined statue and the shifting sands.

Question 2: Discuss how the poem reflects on the idea of memory and legacy.

Answer: It shows that even the greatest rulers leave only ruined monuments, and that true legacy is fleeting; what remains is often forgotten or eroded over time.

Question 3: How does the context of Romanticism influence the themes presented in Ozymandias?

Answer: Romanticism's focus on nature, individualism, and skepticism of authority is reflected in the poem's emphasis on the power of nature over human hubris and its critique of pride.

Question 1: Outline key points for comparing how Shelley and Robert Browning depict power and pride in their poems.

Answer: Shelley's 'Ozymandias' highlights the inevitable decline of human achievements and the futility of pride, using imagery and irony. Browning's 'My Last Duchess' explores personal pride and control, revealing the darker side of power through dialogue and character. Both poems critique the corrupting influence of pride, but Shelley emphasizes the impermanence of fame, while Browning examines individual authority.

Question 1: Create a paragraph plan comparing how Shelley and the poet of 'My Last Duchess' present the idea of pride and its consequences.

Answer: Introduction: Both poems explore pride and its impact. Shelley uses imagery of decay and irony to depict the futility of power, emphasizing impermanence. Browning presents pride through the Duke's monologue, revealing dangerous possessiveness and control. Both show pride as ultimately destructive, but Shelley emphasizes its fleeting nature, while Browning concentrates on personal and moral decline.