Form

• What type of form is Ozymandias written in and why?

  Ozymandias is written in sonnet form but, it doesn't follow the traditional sonnet rhym scheme to reflect the way that human power and structures are able to be destroyed.
• What pentameter does Ozymandias have and why?

  Ozymandias has an iambic pentameter that is often distrupted, this serves as a representation of Ozymandias' rule. At the beginning of his reign, he had a lot of authority and a great ability to oppress his subjects, however, as the iambic pentameter distrupts along the poem, it is seen that his power has deteriorated and lost significance as he has been overpowered by nature.
• How does the form of Ozymandias show that the emotion of pride is meaningless in the face of time?

  The idea that the emotion of pride is meaningless in the face of time is enforced as the poem has a framed narrative which creates distance between the reader and Ozymandias. This shows that his words and pride have been forgotten overtime as Ozymandias has lost his voice.
• How does the form of Ozymandias show that the power of nature is eternal?

  The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet but it lacks a clear volta which creates a sense of inevitable decline reflecting how nature constantly erodes human structures without being interrupted. Shelley purposely does this in order to suggest that nature will always outlast human authority.
• How does the form of Ozymandias show that the power of humans is abnormal?

  The poem is a sonnet, a form usually used to express love and admiration, but here it depicts cruelty and arrogance. This clash suggests that tyranny and human power are unnatural and temporary, disrupting the natural order but ultimately fading with time.