Ozymandias

Question 1

Poem’s form

Answer 1

The poem is a sonnet, with a volta at line 9 like a petrarchan sonnet. However, it doesn’t follow a regular sonnet rhyme scheme, perhaps reflectingthe way that human power and structures can be destroyed. It uses iamabic pentameter, but this is often disrupted. The story is a second-hand account, which distances the reader even further from the dead king.

Question 2

Poem’s structure

Answer 2

The narrator builds up an image of the statue by focusing on different parts of it in turn. The poem ends by describing the enormous desert, which helps to sum up the insignificance of the statue.

Question 3

What’s the irony of the poem?

Answer 3

There’s nothing left to show for the ruler’s arrogant boasting or his great civilisation. The ruined statue can be seen as a symbol for the temporary nature of political power or human achievement. Shelley’s use of irony reflects his hatred of oppression and his belief that it is possible to overturn social and political order.

Question 4

Poem’s themes

Answer 4

• power of man
• power of nature
• pride