Question

Ozymandias
Percy Byshe Shelley

1I 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 shattered visage lies, whose frown,
5And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which still survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
10"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.
The words of Ozymandias in the context of the poem showcase what theme?
Responses
A the price of famethe price of fame
B the glory of powerthe glory of power
C the futility of pridethe futility of pride
D the consciousness of concern

Answer 1

The correct answer is C) the futility of pride. The words of Ozymandias, boasting of his greatness and power, are juxtaposed with the ruined and decayed statue, showing the eventual downfall and insignificance of even the mightiest rulers. This highlights the theme of the futility of pride and the impermanence of human achievements.