Ozymandias MCQs & Summary

Summary:

Ozymandias is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley that explores the fleeting nature of power and the inevitable decline of rulers and empires. The poem is structured as a story within a story, where a traveler recounts seeing the ruins of a massive statue in the desert. The inscription on the pedestal boasts of Ozymandias’ great power, yet ironically, nothing remains of his empire except broken remnants of the statue surrounded by endless sand. Shelley uses this imagery to highlight the theme of impermanence and the futility of human pride, emphasizing that no matter how powerful a ruler may be, time ultimately erases all traces of their greatness. The poem serves as a powerful reflection on the transient nature of human achievements and the dominance of nature over human civilization.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote the poem Ozymandias?
   a) John Keats
   b) P. B. Shelley
   c) William Wordsworth
   d) Lord Byron
   Answer: b) P. B. Shelley
2. What is Ozymandias a reference to?
   a) A Roman Emperor
   b) A Greek Philosopher
   c) An Egyptian Pharaoh
   d) A British King
   Answer: c) An Egyptian Pharaoh
3. What is the central theme of the poem?
   a) The power of nature
   b) The temporary nature of human power
   c) The importance of love
   d) The beauty of art
   Answer: b) The temporary nature of human power

   

4. What remains of the statue of Ozymandias?
   a) A fully intact sculpture
   b) A ruined pedestal
   c) A broken trunk and two legs
   d) The head and arms
   Answer: c) A broken trunk and two legs
5. What message is inscribed on the pedestal of the statue?
   a) “Beware my wrath”
   b) “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
   c) “The strongest shall survive”
   d) “Glory to the King of Kings”
   Answer: b) “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
6. What literary device is primarily used in the poem?
   a) Simile
   b) Allegory
   c) Irony
   d) Alliteration
   Answer: c) Irony
7. What does the vast and empty desert symbolize in the poem?
   a) The power of nature
   b) The eternal legacy of rulers
   c) The decline of civilizations
   d) The beauty of Egypt
   Answer: c) The decline of civilizations
8. Who narrates the story in Ozymandias?
   a) A traveler from an ancient land
   b) The poet himself
   c) A historian
   d) A king’s servant
   Answer: a) A traveler from an ancient land
9. What poetic form is Ozymandias written in?
   a) Limerick
   b) Sonnet
   c) Free verse
   d) Ballad
   Answer: b) Sonnet
10. What does the poem Ozymandias suggest about the fate of rulers and their legacies?
    a) Their power lasts forever
    b) They become more famous with time
    c) Their power eventually fades and disappears
    d) They are remembered with admiration
    Answer: c) Their power eventually fades and disappears