Ozymandias
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.
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ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
2-- Rewrite in your own words as prose the story this poem tells.
3-- According to the poem, king Ozymandias had the following wordswritten on his statue:
"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
What message was this meant to tell the people of his time long ago?
4-- What message does the poem have in modern day for the author of the poem and the traveller who told him about the statue?
Please understand that no one here will do your work for you. However, we will be happy to read over whatever you come up with and make suggestions and/or corrections.
Please post what you think and write.
http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1231901055
2. How you have power to start off with, but while gloating it, you lose it.
3. He had his past works as if they meant something in the present when they didnt.
4. People who are in a positon of power are often feared by those of lower classes, until you lose that power.
2-- The story told in the poem is about a traveler who meets someone from an ancient land. The traveler tells the poet about a ruined statue standing in the desert. The statue has two massive legs but is missing its upper body. The face of the statue is shattered and shows a frown, wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command. The traveler explains that the sculptor of the statue perfectly captured the emotions of the powerful ruler, Ozymandias, whose name is inscribed on the pedestal. The inscription boasts of Ozymandias being the king of kings and warns other powerful beings to despair when they look upon his magnificent works. However, the poem ends by revealing that everything around the statue has turned into decay, leaving only desolate sands stretching endlessly.
3-- The message that Ozymandias intended to convey through the words on his statue was one of arrogance and superiority. By declaring, "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!", Ozymandias wanted to emphasize his dominance and power over others. He wanted to instill a sense of fear and awe in those who saw his statue, making them feel insignificant compared to his achievements.
4-- In modern times, the message of the poem holds significance for both the author of the poem and the traveler. The author, who wrote the poem, is reflecting on how even the mightiest rulers and their accomplishments eventually fade away and crumble into nothingness. It serves as a reminder that power and grandeur are temporary and fleeting.
For the traveler, who witnessed the ruined statue, the poem's message could be seen as a revelation of the impermanence of human achievements and the ephemeral nature of power. The traveler's retelling of the statue's state conveys the notion that regardless of one's greatness or influence, ultimately, everything fades away with time. It serves as a cautionary reminder for the traveler to not become too captivated or deluded by the allure of power and the material world.