Form and Structure

• A sonnet (14 lines) but with an unconventional structure… the structure is normal until a turning point (a volta) at Line 9 (..these words appear). This reflects how human structures can be destroyed or decay.
• The iambic pentameter rhyme scheme is also disrupted or decayed.
• First eight lines (the octave) of the sonnet: the statue is described in parts to show its destruction.
• Final two lines: the huge & immortal desert is described to emphasise insignificance of human power