OZYMANDIAS
Theme : The poem brings out the pphemerality of the statues and sculpture that the rich and the mighty get carved out to immortalize themselves. The power and the money of these arrogant people however fails to perpetuate their name and fame. The all consuming power of time wipes their names from the face of earth and their statues are torn down from the high pedestals that they are mounted on.The pride and the arrogance of these so called ‘mighty’ is mocked at by the shattered fragments of their statues that lie neglected and half buried here and there.
Message: the poem brings out the transience of man and his foolish urge to immortalize his name. Man is too feeble to withstand the ravages of time. Hence wisdom lies in leading a modest and unpretentious life and later on withdrawing from the world with a sense of resignation.
Title: The poem is woven around the foolish pride of a conceited King Ozymandias. The poem brings out his arrogance, his short sightedness and his urge to immortalize himself. As he is the pivotal character round whom all the fourteen lines of the poem revolve, the poem has rightly been given the tiltle ‘ Ozymandias’. The queerness of the name Ozymandias makes the title of the poem very interesting.
I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow :
1. The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, king of kings
(a) Whom does the hand and heart refer to?
(b) How did the king look after his people?
(c) What quality of Ozymandias is revealed in the last line?
2. Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair!
(a) Whom does the poet refer to as mighty?
(b) How does he challenge the mighty?
(c) What message is conveyed in the poem Ozymandias?
3. Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read.
(a) What lies in the sand and how?
(b) How does the shattered visage look?
(c) What does the face tell us about the sculptor?
II Answer the given questions in 30-40 words
1. Do you believe Ozymandias was justified in persisting in the belief of his supremacy? Why/ Why not?
2. In what condition was the statue found?
3. Who had written the inscription on the pedestal below the statue? What did it indicate?
4. What does the partially destroyed statue of Ozymandias symbolise?
5. Bring out the irony in the poem.
III Answer the given question in 100-125 words:-
1.The poem Ozymandias illustrates the vanity of human greatness. Comment
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 10 English Ozymandias Worksheet
