By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Selection Test

Osymandias By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Comprehension (50 pts.; 10 pts. ea.) On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.

______1. In the poem, the monument to Ozymandias is a. grand and stunning c. nonexistent b. shattered d. owned by someone else

______2. Thte poem presents Ozymandias as a symbol of a. power c. justice b. transience d. immortality

______3. The face of Ozymandias a. looks down threateningly b. mysteriously speaks c. in unforgettable to the speaker d. lies broken in the desert

______4. The fact that the traveler sees only sand around the pedestal is a. ironic c. an epithet b. an apostrophe d. a turn

______5. Shelley uses the adjective “antique” ironically, because the word a. suggests great historical value b. implies that something is past its useful prime c. provides a contrast to the traveler’s youth d. aggravates the speaker, since he believes the monument is magnificent

Reading Skills and Strategies: I dentifying speakers (20 pts.; 10 pts. ea.) On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.

______6. Who is the speaker in lines 10-11? a. the sculptor c. the ruler b. the traveler d. the narrator

______7. What can you infer about the narrator’s thoughts? a. He believes monuments are priceless. b. He believes the sand is beautiful. c. He believes it is important to have an archeological record in the form of monuments to past achievements. d. He believes our actions while living are more important than the monuments we leave behind.

Written Response (30 pts.) 8. What do you think is the central lesson of “Ozymandias”? On a separate sheet of paper, or in the space provided, state your answer AND explain the reasons for your answer. Make at least one reference to the selection to support your ideas.