Question

@sappiremoon

Answer 1

Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.


How does the symbol of the statue and its imagery contribute to the meaning of “Oxymandias”? Use evidence from the text to support your response. Your response should be at least two complete paragraphs.

Answer 2

@SapphireMoon

Answer 3

http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/shelley/section2.rhtml

Answer 4

Wow, this is a tough question. I mean it's obvious that the imagery plays a major part, but it's like the whole poem, not specific sections... what are your ideas?

Answer 5

This is what I have so far, but I have a lot of grammar issues and I feel like its not detailed enough........

: The theme of the poem is, All great rulers despite all the power and strength one has on the path of their life, material titles will not last for eternity. The statue proves this by it decaying and being isolated in the hot desert. His statue was intended to reflect his greatness. But when the traveler sees it, its shattered and still slowly decaying. And lies in the middle of the isolated desert. The inscription on the statue " My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" bring a sense of mockery. The inscription seems absurd in its statues current surrounding's.

Answer 6

@SapphireMoon

Answer 7

Maybe remove "all great rulers" in the first sentence. Perhaps the second sentence "The statue proves this by its decay and isolation in the middle of what is now a desert." The fourth sentence "... its destruction and incongruity with the surrounding desert brings a different feel." That's what I've got for now... Let me keep thinking.

Answer 8

Okay thanks so much! sorry my parents just brought back a puppy lol I had to help them unload a washer and dryer

Answer 9

Ooh, puppy!