Question 1: Describe the setting of the poem and explain how Shelley introduces the theme of impermanence.

Answer: The poem is set in a ruined ancient statue's remains in a desert, symbolizing the fleeting nature of power and glory.

Question 2: What does the statue's 'cold command' suggest about Ozymandias's personality?

Answer: It implies Ozymandias's authority was authoritative and commanding, but also perhaps unfeeling or harsh.

Question 3: Identify two themes presented in the poem.

Answer: The themes include the impermanence of power and the inevitable decline of even the greatest achievements.

Question 1: Quote: 'Sneer of cold command.' Identify the device and discuss its effect on the reader.

Answer: This phrase uses alliteration ('c' sounds) and personification. It emphasizes Ozymandias’s arrogance and harsh authority, creating an intimidating tone.

Question 2: Quote: 'Two vast and trunkless legs of stone.' What imagery is created, and how does it reflect the poem’s themes?

Answer: Imagery of broken, incomplete sculpture symbolizes the decline of Ozymandias’s empire, highlighting themes of impermanence and decay.

Question 1: How does Shelley’s use of sonnet form affect the presentation of power in the poem?

Answer: The sonnet form, often associated with love and personal reflection, contrasts with the theme of lost power, emphasizing the fleeting nature of human achievements.

Question 2: Discuss how the poem’s ending leaves the reader with a sense of irony about Ozymandias’s boastfulness.

Answer: The final lines reveal that Ozymandias’s mighty works have crumbled into ruins, contrasting his proud declaration with the reality of decay, creating irony and prompting reflection on hubris.

Question 1: Identify two similarities and two differences between Ozymandias and 'My Last Duchess' regarding how power is portrayed.

Answer: Similarities include portrayals of dominance and control; differences are that Ozymandias’s power is fleeting and public, while the Duke’s is private and possessive.

Question 2: Draft a brief plan for a paragraph comparing the poets’ attitudes towards power.

Answer: Shelley’s tone suggests a critique of arrogance and hubris, whereas Browning’s tone is more personal and reveals control as a possessive obsession.

Question 1: Quote: 'Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Analyze the language and tone, and discuss how it demonstrates Ozymandias’s personality and the poem’s message.

Answer: The imperative 'Look' commands admiration, but the tone is ironic given the ruined state of the works. It shows Ozymandias’s arrogance and the futility of his boastfulness, reinforcing themes of hubris and impermanence.

Question 1: Outline your main points and evidence you would include in a comparative essay focusing on how Shelley and the other poet explore the theme of power and its limitations.

Answer: Points include the transient nature of power, the use of imagery and tone to depict authority, and how each poet’s context influences their portrayal of power. Evidence from quotes and structural choices will support these points.