ozymandias

• what does the description of an 'antique land' and 'desert' suggest?


  The verb ‘antique’ suggests that the land hasn't been occupied for a while, and ‘desert’ further emphasises that he’s in a place that lacks life and culture.
•  what does ‘a shattered visage’ suggest?

  that the statue is unrecognizable and broken, emphasising that Ozymandias no longer has purpose.
• what is the irregular rhyme scheme of the poem symbolic of?


  the fragmented statue, which Shelley may have used to show how anyone with power and authority will be forgotten or will only remain in partial memory, like ruins of a statue.
• what does 'sneer of cold command' suggest?

  Shelley is presenting Ozymandias as egotistical, which is ironic because his statue is eventually in ruins and forgotten. The alliteration of ‘cold command’ creates a harsh sound, which represents Ozymandias’s cruel reign.
• what does 'collosal wreck' suggest?


  the metaphor here creates a double meaning to this phrase: Shelley could be highlighting how vast the statue is, but also showing Ozymandias’ ego to be ‘colossal’ too.
• who wrote 'ozymandias'?

  Percy Bysshe Shelley
• what type of poet was Shelley?

  Romantic
• what kind of person was Shelley?

  • radical
  • atheist
  • anti-monarchist