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Summary Ozymandias IEB
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A detailed line-by-line analysis of a Grade 12 IEB 2025 poem, providing in-depth insights to ensure complete understanding and aid in exam preparation.
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Ozymandias of Egypt - Percy Bysshe ShelleyIEB 2025
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 shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd 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.
, - This opening line introduces the narrator and a
traveller, creating a sense of storytelling and distance.
- The phrase "antique land" suggests a place of historical
significance, evoking images of ancient civilizations.
- The word "antique" implies age, wisdom, and mystery,
setting a reflective and somber tone.
I met a traveller from an - The traveller serves as a narrative device, providing an
antique land indirect perspective on the poem’s main subject.
- The lack of punctuation after this line builds suspense,
urging the reader to continue.
- The figure of speech here is metonymy, as "antique
land" represents an ancient culture or civilization.
- The meeting between the speaker and the traveller
signifies the passing of knowledge, hinting at the
transient nature of human achievements.
- This line shifts to the traveller's voice, describing a
fragmented statue.
- The word "vast" emphasizes the scale of the statue,
suggesting the grandeur of its original form.
- "Trunkless" underscores its incompleteness and decay,
symbolizing the erosion of power over time.
Who said: Two vast and - The colon introduces the traveller's narrative, inviting
trunkless legs of stone the reader into a vivid depiction of the ruins.
- The imagery evokes both awe and desolation,
emphasizing the physical and metaphorical remnants
of a once-mighty empire.
- The statue serves as a metaphor for the impermanence
of human endeavors.
- The lack of a connecting body amplifies the idea of
disconnection, resonating with themes of
fragmentation and the ephemeral nature of human
creations.
- The desolate setting is reinforced here, with the desert
symbolizing isolation and timelessness.
- The word "stand" suggests resilience, even amidst
decay, while "desert" highlights the barrenness that
surrounds the remnants.
Stand in the desert. Near - The placement "near them on the sand" implies
them on the sand, proximity yet separation between the statue's
components, reflecting the fragmented legacy of the
figure it represents.
- This line uses personification subtly, as the legs "stand,"
giving them a semblance of life and permanence, even
though they are ruins.
- The imagery underscores the futility of human
ambition against the backdrop of nature's vastness.
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