Download Activity Two: Reading “Ozymandias” Read the poem below. Record

Activity Two: Reading “Ozymandias”
Read the poem below. Record any observations or questions you
have as you read the poem.
5
10
I met a traveler 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,
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:
‘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.”
1. This poem presents multiple speakers. Assign a specific color to each
speaker, and highlight that speaker’s lines in that color. Record color
code below.
2. In addition to the speakers, what other character is present in this
poem?
Faces of a Pharaoh: Synthesizing Literary, Informational, and Visual Texts
3. In the chart below, describe what each speaker or character says,
relates, or believes. Cite textual evidence and line numbers to support
your inferences.
Speaker/Character and
His Description
Speaker’s/Character’s Opinion about Ozymandius
Textual Support:
line #
A.
B.
C.
D.
4. Look back at your chart. Of all the characters represented, who or what
exactly has “lasted” over the course of time?
5. Why do you think the poet uses multiple speakers to tell Ozymandias’
story?
6. What do you think the poet is suggesting about the things that “stand
the test of time”?