“Ozymandias”
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
1
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 shattered visage lies, whose frown,
5
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet 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.
Reading Page
1. This poem presents multiple speakers. Assign a specific color to each speaker, and highlight or underline that
speaker’s lines in that color:
a. Narrator
b. Traveler
c. Ozymandias
2. In addition to the speakers, what other character is present in the poem? ________________________________
A thematic idea is an abstract noun or phrase that articulates some dimension of the human condition examined in a literary
work. Theme is the generalization about life—the universal meaning—that is revealed in the literary text.
3. In the chart below, describe what each speaker or character says, relates, or believes about Ozymandias and his
works. Cite Textual evidence and line numbers to support your inferences.
Speaker or Character
and His Description
Speaker’s or Character’s Opinion about
Ozymandias and his works
Textual Support
Traveler
Ozymandias
He is proud of his works, and they
reflect his ambition.
“Look on my works, ye mighty, and
despair!” – line 11
Sculptor
Now, make a list of thematic ideas that reflect some aspect of the human condition revealed in the poem.
4. Which speaker or character do you think best helps the reader derive a theme in “Ozymandias”? Explain and
support your answer with text evidence.