Question 1 I think the Pharaoh Ozymandias was a very arrogant and power hungry man. He is described as having a "frown" (line 4), "wrinkled lip" (line 5) and "sneer of cold command" (line 5). All these descriptions create an image of a very strong Pharaoh who commanded respect from those below him. His “sneer” (line 5) implies that he was condescending towards his subjects, looking down on them as a despot. “Cold command” (line 5) implies further that Ozymandias was not accommodating and not necessarily merciful or warm in the hearts of his people. Ozymandias also seemed to want to ensure that people would fear and respect him long after he passed away. He also believed that he was the "King of Kings" (line 10),which translates to being the …show more content…
The “hand” (line 8) is referring to the sculptor in the sense of both the artistic hand used in sculpting and the servant that the sculptor was in relation to his subject, Ozymandias. “Mocked” (line 8) too carries a dual meaning, meaning both imitated or copied and ridiculed. The “heart that fed” (line 8) is less clear. The heart seems to refer to that of the sculptor in the sense of artistic passion that was fed through his work. It refers also a passion specifically created from existence and life. The irony that the double meanings of line 8 create is shown from the lifelessness and barrenness that is now left of the empire created by the “King of Kings” (line 10). The “hand” (line 8) that created the interpretation of Ozymandias and the artistic passion of the sculptor alone is what now gives life to the statue, reduced to nothing more than the work of the sculptor. Although Ozymandias, as indicated in lines 10 and 11, perceived his empire as lasting forever, there is nothing left of his actual work, but merely that of another's interpretation. The “lone and level sands stretch far away” (line 14), “boundless and bare” (line 13) and “nothing besides remains” (line 12) illustrate the failure of Ozymandias intentions to proclaim to all those who come across his sculpture that his works are worthy of making even “mighty” (line 11) men “despair” (line 11). Thus, …show more content…
The alliteration in these lines further emphasises how decayed and broken down the statue is as well as Ozymandias's great ambitions of being remembered forever. All around the site of the once grand statue the land is “boundless” (line 13) and the statue stands all alone in the “level sands” (line 14) that “stretch” (line 14) far around it. In addition these words make the image of the face and legs being broken stronger and give the feeling of it being lonely, and no longer having anyone worshipping it. All of these images emphasises Shelley's point of how time passes and how our human ambitions get quickly forgotten. Even when we create some trophy or declaration of our success those “lifeless things” (line 7) also do not live forever. The images are very effective as at the end of the poem you feel sad for Ozymandias as he was just a man who had dreams just like we all do and wanted to be forever remembered for his great achievements. The poem puts into perspective just how small we are in the greater scheme of the world and to the future