Question 1: Briefly explain the historical context of 'Ozymandias' and how it influences the poem's message.

Answer: The poem reflects on the impermanence of power and the arrogance of rulers, inspired by the statue of Ramses II and the Romantic interest in decay and legacy.

Question 2: What is the main focus of this worksheet?

Answer: To analyze Ozymandias and compare its themes and devices with another poem from the Power and Conflict anthology.

Question 1: Analyze the significance of the line: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:'. What does it reveal about the speaker's attitude?

Answer: It highlights Ozymandias's pride and arrogance, emphasizing his self-perception as a supreme ruler and reflecting themes of hubris.

Question 2: Interpret the imagery in 'Two vast and trunkless legs of stone.' How does this contribute to the poem's message?

Answer: It symbolizes the decay of power and the inevitable decline of even the greatest rulers, reinforcing the transient nature of human achievement.

Question 1: Find and analyze a metaphor in the poem that emphasizes the impermanence of power.

Answer: The 'colossal Wreck' metaphor suggests the grandeur of Ozymandias’s empire has decayed into ruins, highlighting the fleeting nature of human power.

Question 2: Identify a simile used in the poem and discuss its effect on the reader.

Answer: The simile 'boundless and bare' emphasizes the vast emptiness and desolation, evoking a sense of loss and the futility of hubris.

Question 1: Discuss how the theme of power is portrayed in the poem. Use specific lines to support your answer.

Answer: The theme of power is portrayed as transient; Shelley shows that even the most powerful rulers are ultimately forgotten, as seen in the ruined statue and the inscription celebrating Ozymandias's greatness.

Question 2: How does Shelley explore the theme of memory and legacy?

Answer: Shelley suggests that true legacy is fleeting; the poem shows how Ozymandias’s grandeur is reduced to ruins, emphasizing the impermanence of fame and material power.

Question 1: Identify two similarities and two differences in how the two poems depict power.

Answer: Similarities include the portrayal of power as ultimately fragile and corrupting; differences include Ozymandias's emphasis on imperial grandeur versus the personal control in 'My Last Duchess'.

Question 2: Outline key points you would include in an essay comparing the poets' attitudes towards power.

Answer: Shelley views power as fleeting and destructive, often mocking rulers, while Browning presents control as personal and possessive, revealing different attitudes towards authority.

Question 1: Analyze the quote: 'Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'. What is the tone, and how might it influence a reader?

Answer: The tone is boastful and ironic; it reveals Ozymandias’s arrogance, which contrasts with the poem’s message about the futility of such pride, prompting reflection on human hubris.

Question 2: Examine the keywords in: 'Sneer of cold command.' How do these words contribute to the poem's themes?

Answer: Keywords like 'sneer' and 'cold' suggest cruelty and emotional detachment, emphasizing the oppressive nature of power and its dehumanizing effects.

Question 1: Write a brief outline for an essay comparing 'Ozymandias' with 'My Last Duchess' on the theme of power and control.

Answer: Introduction to themes of power. Paragraph 1: Ozymandias's depiction of impermanence through imagery and irony. Paragraph 2: 'My Last Duchess' showing personal control and possessiveness. Conclusion: contrasting the public vs. private nature of power, and Shelley’s message about its transient essence.