Page 1: Structure and Language Analysis
The first page of this Ozymandias poem analysis for grade 9 students pdf focuses on the poem's structure and language. Shelley employs a unique form to convey his message about the transience of power.
The poem is structured as a sonnet with 14 lines, but Shelley subverts traditional expectations by using an unconventional rhyme scheme. This reflects the poem's theme of challenging authority and established norms.
Highlight: The poem uses iambic pentameter, with five pairs of syllables in each line, typically unstressed followed by stressed.
Shelley's language choices are crucial in creating the poem's atmosphere and meaning. The use of words like "shattered" and "trunkless" emphasizes the statue's decay, symbolizing the fall of Ozymandias' power.
Quote: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone / Stand in the desert..."
The poem employs a framed narrative, with the speaker recounting a story told by a traveler. This technique creates distance between the reader and Ozymandias, further undermining his power.
Vocabulary: Visage - face
The final lines of the poem powerfully contrast the empty boasts of Ozymandias with the reality of his legacy:
Quote: "Nothing beside remains. Round the decay / Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away."
These lines emphasize the vastness of nature and the insignificance of human achievements in comparison.
