Essay Questions

Who may be Ozymandias who is mentioned in the poem of the same name?

Ozymandias is the Greek name given to and Egyptian Pharaoh, most commonly known as Ramses II who lived in the 12th century before Christ. Ramses II is generally considered as being one of the greatest Pharaohs to ever live and his name is remembered even today. During his long reign, Ramses II built a large number of monuments and statues and conquered many lands. At the same time when Horace Smith wrote the poem ‘’Ozymandias’’, another important poet, Percy Shelly wrote a poem about the life of the king bearing the same name. The poem shows even today the fascination the Western society had with Egyptian culture and mummies in the 18th century.

What event is described in the first stanza of the poem "Young England’’?

In the first stanza, the narrator describes something which he calls "strange’’. He then goes to describe a war fought with more efficient and deadly weapons, the possibility of traveling long distances in a short period of time, communicating with other continents and the destruction of the environment. All these events are linked with the Industrial Revolution, which changed the face of the world forever. During the Revolutions, the events described in the first stanza took place in a short period of time and affected the way in which people described normality and the way in which they lived their life.

What could the linnet bird in the poem "Love and Liberty’’ stand for?

The poem mentioned above tells the story of a bird which, tired of being locked in a cage, decided to escape and fly to nearby forest. During the day, the bird was happy and enjoyed its freedom. Things changed however when night came and the bird soon found itself being attacked by vicious birds of prey which killed the linnet in a short period of time. The bird in this context is used to represent a married woman who may not be happy in her marriage. The woman in question may decide to break off the marriage and get a divorce, feeling extremely happy and content soon after regaining her freedom. However, just like the bird encountered difficulties during the night, the woman might find herself in a desperate situation when problems may arise and in those moments, the woman may even wish to return to her former husband, realizing the safety she left behind.