Ozymandias Student Worksheet

“Ozymandias” is a sonnet written by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Shelley wrote “Ozymandias” in 1817 as part of a poetry contest with a friend and had it
published in The Examiner in 1818. The title “Ozymandias” refers to an alternate name of the
ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. In the poem, Shelley describes a crumbling statue of
Ozymandias to portray the transience of political power and praise art’s ability to preserve the
past. Although the poem is a 14-line sonnet, it breaks from the typical sonnet tradition in both
its form and rhyme scheme, a tactic that reflects Shelley’s interest in challenging
conventions, both political and poetic. (Litcharts.com)

1. Who are the 3 speakers in this poem? Who do we know the most about?
The three speakers in the poem are the narrator, Ozymandias, and then the sculptor.
We learn the most about Ozymandias as he his the central focus of the poem as it
explores his arrogance and the legacy he left behind.
2. How does the poem’s structure mimic or emphasize its meaning?
 Enjambment: the use of enjoyment in the poem, create a sense of continuity, and I’m
going to miss you, reflecting the idea that time continues to March on, despite the
temperature of human achievements
 Caesura: do use caesura in the pumpkin pies and brakes in the floor of the poem,
emphasizing certain words and phrases, and, drawing attention to the idea of the
passage of time and the transience of power
 Irregularities in the sonnet’s traditional iambic pentameter and rhyme scheme:
irregularities in the sun is traditional, iambic, pentameter, and rhyme scheme: the
irregularities in the palms of additional sign instructions to just at the order of the
toilet Ozymandias such a close on the world is ultimately futile
3. What is the effect of the sibilance and alliteration in the poem?
Effect of siblings, an alliteration in the poem creates a hissing sound that emphasizes
the idea decay and destruction. Repeated use of the “s” sound also creates a sense of
snake like violence, suggesting that Ozymandias is abuse of power was built on and
cruelty and tyranny.
4. Who is more important, the sculptor or Ozymandias? Why?
The sculptor is more important in the poem, as he is the one who is created the statue
that ultimately outlasts Ozymandias’s legacy. The statue serves as a testament to the
sculptor’s skill and craftsmanship, while Ozymandias’s power and arrogance have
faded into
5. Comment on the double meaning of “The hand that mocked them” (line 8) and
“Nothing beside remains” (line 12).
The double meaning of the “hand that mocked them” suggests the idea that the
sculptor has mocked Ozymandias through a skillful representation of the fallen king,
and also that Ozymandias’s own hand has a ultimately Feldman. Similarly, the phrase
“nothing beside remains” suggests both the idea that Ozymandias’s once great
kingdom has crumbled to nothing, and that even the statue itself will eventually come
sometime time and decay.
- Mock has two meanings: either to replica (mock exam, mock up…) or to mock
someone (make fun of them)

6. What does the inscription on the pedestal reveal about Ozymandias? Why is this
ironic?
 The inscription on the pedestal demonstrates his arrogance as he claims to be
greatness, when in the time of the poem shows that he is far from that. His legacy is
gone, and the very statue – the last memory of him – will eventually decay as well.

7. In lines 12-14, the focus of the poem shifts away from the statue to the larger expanse
of the landscape. What effect does this have on the reader? What does the poem
imply about nature?
8. What does the poem imply about power? Choose a line from the poem to support
your answer.
9. What is the poem’s message about the importance of art? Choose a line from the
poem to support your answer. How does the poet himself embody this message?
10. How could this poem be read as pessimistic? How could it be read as optimistic?
Themes:
- Transcience of power
- The power of art (ability to capture and remember legacy over long periods of
time)
- Man versus nature (battle to preserve our actions)

Practice IGCSE essay prompt:

Explore the ways in which Shelley presents ideas about power in his poem
“Ozymandias”.