Ozymandias

• What was the name of the poet that wrote 'Ozymandias' ?

  Percy Bysshe Shelley
• What type of poet was Percy Bysshe Shelley?

  A romantic poet
• What was the Romantic Poetry?

  A poetic movement from the late 18th and the early 19th centuries
• In regards to the poem Ozymandias, what is important about Romantic Poets?

  They dislike control by those in power (Shelley also had a dislike for the monarchy and religion)
• Who was King when Ozymandias was written?

  King George the III (Shelley disliked the king - and it was likely that he was the inspiration for Ozymandias, on top of the fact that the British Museum had recently acquired fragments from the Ozymandias Statue in Egypt )
• What is the key theme of Ozymandias?

  Power is transitory - It changes over time (However Art - like the statue - do last)
• What type of poem is Ozymandias - and how is this important?

  Ozymandias is a sonnet - It has 14 lines . These types of poems are a form of love poetry, which suggests that Shelley uses this form to highlight how Ozymandias is in love with himself
• What can be said about the rhyme scheme of Ozymandias?

  The rhyme scheme lacks consistency , and is constantly changing and adapting
• Why might the rhyme scheme in Ozymandias change?

  The form of the poem reflects the content, to represent how human power , like the rhyme scheme, changes over time - which can be interpreted as a warning to George the III
• What evidence suggests Ozymandias sees himself a god-like?

  The inscription on his pedestal states that he is the 'king of kings' which is a title given to God in 1 Timothy 6:15 in the bible. This could also be seen as a criticism of the Church , as like the statue their power will also crumble
• 2 examples of alliteration in 'Ozymandias' are 'cold command' and 'king of kings'. This creates a 'cuh' sound. Why do poets use this sound?

  It creates an aggressive, harsh tone , which indicates the cruelty of Ozymandias
• Why might Second Generation Romantic poets like Percy Bysshe Shelley set their poems in foreign lands?

  To distinguish their poetry from the poetry of the First Generation Romantic poets