View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 8 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the form of "Ozymandias"?

2. What does Ozymandias hope to inspire in his audience?

3. What technique is used in line 8, "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed"?

4. In line 4, "Half sunk a shattered visage lies," what does the word "visage" refer to?

5. Which technique is evident in line 6, "Tell that its sculptor well those passions read"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the poem's setting support its main point?

2. What poetic techniques create impact in the line, "Half sunk a shattered visage lies" (line 4)?

3. Identify the three voices heard in "Ozymandias."

4. How does the epithet that Ozymandias gives himself help the reader understand the intentions behind his quote?

5. What claims does the poem make about the statue's sculptor?

6. Describe the poem's form.

7. Explain the irony of the poem's ending.

8. Briefly summarize the action of the poem.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you consider the three voices in "Ozymandias" as "stand-ins." Who might the speaker stand in for? Who might the traveler represent? What about Ozymandias himself? As you consider your answers to these questions, think about why each voice is necessary to the poem's overall meaning. Support your ideas with evidence from the poem; if you use outside sources, be sure to cite these in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you explicate Shelley's use of the sound devices alliteration, assonance, and consonance in "Ozymandias." How do these techniques link or emphasize ideas and impact the poem's flow, pace, and mood? Use both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about Shelley's use of the sonnet form in "Ozymandias." Be sure to discuss which form he uses as well as his departures from the traditions of that form. Show how his use of the sonnet form supports the poem's overall meaning. Offer evidence from the poem to support your observations about the poem's structure.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 732 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample