Ozymandias Form and Structure

Question 1

What is the form of Ozymandias?

Answer 1

A hybrid sonnet that combines features of Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets

This blending reflects the conflict between order and decay, similar to the breakdown of traditional forms.

Question 2

What is the primary meter used in Ozymandias?

Answer 2

Iambic pentameter

This meter creates a sense of control and order, contrasting with themes of chaos and destruction.

Question 3

What narrative technique does the speaker of Ozymandias use?

Answer 3

A narrative framing device

The story is recounted by a traveller, distancing the reader and emphasizing the erasure of personal connections to the past.

Question 4

What literary device does Shelley use to create a flowing tone in Ozymandias?

Answer 4

Enjambment

This device contrasts with the rigidity of Ozymandias’s command, suggesting that time and nature cannot be controlled.

Question 5

What is the significance of the final line of Ozymandias?

Answer 5

It emphasizes nature’s dominance and the futility of pride

The image of endless emptiness leaves the reader contemplating what remains after power fades.

Question 6

What effect does the sonnet form of Ozymandias have?

Answer 6

Shows that Ozymandias was in love with himself

This mirrors the themes of decay and the fragility of power.

Question 7

What does the use of iambic pentameter in Ozymandias create?

Answer 7

Rhythm and control

This contrasts with the chaotic imagery of decay present in the poem.

Question 8

How does the framing narrative enhance the poem’s irony?

Answer 8

It distances the reader from Ozymandias, making the legacy unreliable

This adds depth to the theme of fragmented legacy.

Question 9

What does enjambment suggest in the context of Ozymandias?

Answer 9

That time and decay are continuous, uncontainable forces

This highlights the inevitable decline of power over time.