This key facts covers Fast Facts within Ozymandias (Shelley) for GCSE English Literature. Revise Ozymandias (Shelley) in Power and Conflict Poetry for GCSE English Literature with 10 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 12 of 17 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Fast Facts
- Written in 1817; published January 1818 in The Examiner (a radical London journal)
- Written as part of a friendly competition with Horace Smith, who wrote a companion poem on the same subject
- Ozymandias = Greek name for Ramesses II (reigned 1279-1213 BCE), pharaoh of ancient Egypt
- Shelley was 25 years old when he wrote it; it is now one of the most famous poems in English
- 14 lines — sonnet form, with an irregular rhyme scheme (ABABACDCEDEFEF)
- The poem was written during the Romantic period — a time of intense political debate about monarchy, empire, and reform
- Shelley himself was expelled from Oxford, eloped twice, and spent years in political exile — he knew first-hand what it meant to challenge power
Practice questions for Ozymandias (Shelley)
In 'Ozymandias', the poem's story is told through how many layers of narration?
How does Shelley use the structure of the sonnet form to create irony in 'Ozymandias'? [2 marks]