Ozymandias

• What does art fail to immortalize according to the poem?

  Human power
• Who is Ozymandias another name for?

  Ramses II
• What does the phrase "face is in bits" suggest?

  The statue is broken and damaged
• What does the traveller describe in the poem?

  A broken statue of Ozymandias
• What do the "two vast and trunkless legs of stone" symbolize?

  The remnants of Ozymandias's power
• What does the "shattered visage" represent?

  The decay of Ozymandias's once-great power
• What emotions does the sculptor capture in the statue?

  Frown, wrinkled lip, and sneer
• What does the phrase "the hand that mocked them" imply?

  The artist ridiculed Ozymandias's arrogance
• What is inscribed on the pedestal of the statue?

  "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings"
• What does the inscription challenge the mighty to do?

  Look on his works and despair
• What does "Nothing beside remains" signify?

  His power has faded into nothingness
• What does the "colossal wreck" refer to?

  The ruined statue of Ozymandias
• What does the "lone and level sands stretch far away" imply?

  The vastness of nature compared to human power
• What is the summary of the poem "Ozymandias"?

  • A traveller finds a broken statue of Ozymandias.
  • The statue is a forgotten wreck in a desert.
  • The inscription boasts of his former power.
• What context influenced Shelley to write "Ozymandias"?

  • Written after Ramses's statue was unearthed in 1817.
  • Ramses believed in a lasting legacy beyond death.
  • Shelley challenged the concept of imperial power.
• How does the poem illustrate the theme of human power versus nature?

  Human achievements fade while nature endures
• What does the lack of a body signify in the poem?

  A disconnect between Ozymandias's power and intellect
• What does the contrast between the hot desert and cold sheer imply?

  It highlights Ozymandias's tyranny
• What does the phrase "King of Kings" suggest about Ozymandias's view of himself?

  He believed he had ultimate control
• What irony is present in Ozymandias's desire to be remembered?

  He is forgotten while the sculptor is praised
• What does Shelley emphasize through the gradual disappearance of the statue?

  The impermanence of human achievements
• What does the phrase "people collapsing and eroding" signify?

  The decline of human power over time