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Year 10 - English

Analysing the concept of power in Shelley's 'Ozymandias'

'Power and Conflict'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in three groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explore how Shelley uses language and structure to convey his key messages about power.

Key Notes

  • Breaking the sonnet form reflects the way that human power and man-made structures can be disrupted and destroyed.
  • Shelley uses symbolic adjectives to emphasise the temporary nature of political and human power and achievements.
  • The alliterative final imagery reinforces the insignificance of rulers compared with the desert sands.
  • The ironic quoting of Ozymandias' words demonstrates the meaninglessness of his legacy and his weakness.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Sonnet: a poem of fourteen lines, usually focusing on love
  • Alliteration: when two or more words near each other start with the same sound
  • Ironic: happening in a way contrary to what is expected
  • Petrarchan: describing a sonnet used by the Italian poet Petrarch in the 1300s

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The form of poem an author might choose means little to the message

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Breaking the sonnet form reflects the way that human power and man-made structures can be disrupted and destroyed. Shelley uses symbolic adjectives to emphasise the temporary nature of political and human power and achievements.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Sonnet'

a poem of fourteen lines, usually focusing on love.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: The form of poem an author might choose means little to the message. Correction: Poets pick their forms carefully, as we can see in 'Ozymandias' even the slight tweaking of form can impact the reading of the poem and its meaning.

More Lessons In This Unit

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