“Ozymandias” Reading Comprehension Quiz
1. In the statement “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Ozymandias is speaking to (line 11)
a. The sculptor of the statue
b. Other powerful figures
c. The traveler
d. Percy Bysshe Shelley

2. C. The shattered statue

3. A. The broken-off head of the statue

4. Which of the following best interprets the meaning of line 6?
a. Ozymandias chose the sculptor because he understood his passions.
b. The sculpture’s face is evidence that its sculptor understood Ozymandias’ nature.
c. The face of Ozymandias does not tell us the whole story of this great leader.
d. Ozymandias was likely upset by the sculptor’s interpretation of his visage.

5. The description of the statue’s visage tells us that Ozymandias was probably
a. Benevolent
b. Cruel
c. Handsome
d. Powerful

6. C. The pieces of stone

7. What is the theme of “Ozymandias”?
a. Power and fame are short-lived.
b. The desert is vast and lonely.
c. Ozymandias was a great king.
d. Travelers see and know many things.

8. Which of the following statements would the poet most likely NOT agree with?
a. Power and material possessions are temporary.
b. Desert travelers are frequently not to be trusted.
c. Leaders are only remembered by how they are depicted.
d. Art will outlast the empires it comes from.

9. What is ironic about the inscription on the pedestal and the statue?
a. It describes someone other than the statue
b. It describes a humble king, yet the statue is gigantic
c. It describes the traveler
d. It describes a mighty king, yet the statue is desolate and decaying

10. The “hand” and “heart” referred to in line 8 belong to
a. The poet
b. The persona
c. Ozymandias
d. The sculptor

11. In the poem, who or what gets the final word?
a. The traveler
b. Space
c. Time
d. The sculptor

12. Who is the audience?
a. Ozymandias
b. Humanity
c. The traveler
d. The peasants

13. What or who is surrounding the statue?
a. Nothing
b. The ruins of a kingdom
c. The city where the traveler lives
d. Flowers

14. What does the statue’s abandonment symbolize?
a. “no man is an island”
b. the loneliness that we all feel
c. absence of government in a society
d. the eventual disintegration of political power

SECTION B (Express in two paragraphs, one for each question)
This poem is a sonnet. Give four details of the sonnet in this poem.
In a paragraph, explain who or what is Ozymandias. Give reasons for your response.