Respond in at least 5 sentences. The answer needs to be written in complete sentences. Include at least 1 quote from the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley to earn full credit and support your response.
What is the effect and purpose of personification in the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley?
In the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley, personification serves to highlight the theme of the inevitable impermanence of human achievements. The use of personification in attributing human-like qualities to the ruins of Ozymandias' statue, such as "the sneer of cold command," emphasizes the arrogance and pride of the once-great ruler. This personification also conveys the idea that even powerful figures will eventually fade into obscurity. Additionally, the personification of the "vast and trunkless legs of stone" further emphasizes the decay and deterioration of Ozymandias' empire. The effect of personification in the poem is to create a sense of irony and contrast between the grandeur that Ozymandias once possessed and the inevitable decay that follows. As Shelley writes, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
