Read the following poem and answer questions
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert…Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
What sort of a king was Ozymandias, according to the statue?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → a cruel and powerful king
The face of the statue has a “frown”, a “wrinkled lip” and a “sneer of cold command”.
- A sneer is a proud, unkind smile that looks down on others.
- Cold command means giving orders without any feeling for people. These show a hard and cruel man.
- He also calls himself “king of kings”. This shows how powerful he was, or thought he was.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: a kind and generous king — Incorrect. Contradicted: a kind king would not have a frown and a sneer. The face shows pride and coldness.
Option 3: a wise but very old king — Incorrect. Misread: the “wrinkled lip” is a lip twisted in pride. It is not a sign of old age.
Option 4: a courageous warrior king — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the poem speaks of no battles or brave deeds. “King of kings” shows his power, not his courage.