theme and point of view: “ozymandias” foundation lesson

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T E A C H E R English Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation ® , Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org. i Theme and Point of View: “Ozymandias” Foundation Lesson About this Lesson This lesson, based on Percy Shelley’s poem ―Ozymandias,‖ is a Foundation Lesson, so it is included at all grade levels on the LTF ® website. While parts of this lesson can be used at any grade level, it should be viewed as a model from which teachers can develop lessons for use in their own classrooms, using texts that they would normally teach in their curricula. Focusing on a rich text, however brief, analyzing the use of language in it, and using those language techniques to enrich the writer’s own technique—these strategies inform and reinforce students’ abilities to form connections among all the aspects of language study. Any short, complex text can form the basis of this kind of lesson. Passages for LTF ® lessons are selected to challenge students while lessons and activities make texts accessible. Guided practice with challenging texts allows students to gain the proficiency necessary to read independently at or above grade level. This lesson is included in Module 8: Determining the Underlying Meaning. Objectives Students will move through the levels of thinking by completing a variety of activities. annotate a poem for speakers’ points of view. draw inferences from textual evidence. analyze the use and effect of a frame story. analyze and explain irony in the poem. create a theme statement, narrative, and essay based on elements in the poem. Level Grades Six through Ten Connection to Common Core Standards for English Language Arts LTF Foundation Lessons are designed to be used across grade levels and therefore are aligned to the CCSS Anchor Standards. Teachers should consult their own grade-level-specific Standards. The activities in this lesson allow teachers to address the following Common Core Standards: Explicitly addressed in this lesson Code Standard Level of Thinking Depth of Knowledge R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it. Cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Understand III

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Page 1: Theme and Point of View: “Ozymandias” Foundation Lesson

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Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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Theme and Point of View: “Ozymandias” Foundation Lesson

About this Lesson This lesson, based on Percy Shelley’s poem ―Ozymandias,‖ is a Foundation Lesson, so it is

included at all grade levels on the LTF® website. While parts of this lesson can be used at any

grade level, it should be viewed as a model from which teachers can develop lessons for use in

their own classrooms, using texts that they would normally teach in their curricula. Focusing on

a rich text, however brief, analyzing the use of language in it, and using those language

techniques to enrich the writer’s own technique—these strategies inform and reinforce students’

abilities to form connections among all the aspects of language study. Any short, complex text

can form the basis of this kind of lesson.

Passages for LTF® lessons are selected to challenge students while lessons and activities make

texts accessible. Guided practice with challenging texts allows students to gain the proficiency

necessary to read independently at or above grade level.

This lesson is included in Module 8: Determining the Underlying Meaning.

Objectives Students will

move through the levels of thinking by completing a variety of activities.

annotate a poem for speakers’ points of view.

draw inferences from textual evidence.

analyze the use and effect of a frame story.

analyze and explain irony in the poem.

create a theme statement, narrative, and essay based on elements in the poem.

Level

Grades Six through Ten

Connection to Common Core Standards for English Language Arts

LTF Foundation Lessons are designed to be used across grade levels and therefore are aligned to

the CCSS Anchor Standards. Teachers should consult their own grade-level-specific Standards.

The activities in this lesson allow teachers to address the following Common Core Standards:

Explicitly addressed in this lesson

Code Standard Level of

Thinking

Depth of

Knowledge

R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says

explicitly and to make logical inferences from it.

Cite specific textual evidence when writing or

speaking to support conclusions drawn from the

text.

Understand III

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Teacher Overview—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and

analyze their development; summarize the key

supporting details and ideas.

Analyze III

R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas

develop and interact over the course of a text.

Analyze III

R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a

text, including determining technical, connotative,

and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific

word choices shape meaning or tone.

Analyze III

R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the

content and style of a text.

Analyze III

W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and

convey complex ideas and information clearly and

accurately through the effective selection,

organization, and analysis of content.

Create III

W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined

experiences or events using effective technique,

well-chosen details, and well-structured event

sequences.

Create IV

Implicitly addressed in this lesson

Code Standard Level of

Thinking

Depth of

Knowledge

R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse

formats and media, including visually and

quantitatively, as well as in words.

Evaluate III

R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific

claims in a text, including the validity of the

reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of

the evidence.

Evaluate III

R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar

themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to

compare the approaches the authors take.

Analyze III

R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and

informational texts independently and proficiently.

Understand II

L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of

standard English grammar and usage when writing

or speaking.

Understand I

L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of

standard English capitalization, punctuation, and

spelling when writing.

Understand I

L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how

language functions in different contexts, to make

effective choices for meaning or style, and to

comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Understand II

L.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships

and nuances in word meanings.

Understand II

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Teacher Overview—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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L.6 Acquire and use accurately a range of general

academic and domain-specific words and phrases

sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and

listening at the college and career readiness level;

demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary

knowledge when considering a word or phrase

important to comprehension or expression.

Understand II

W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate

to task, purpose, and audience.

Create III

W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts

to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Analyze III

W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for

research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time

frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range

of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Apply III

LTF Skill Focus

The foundation for LTF English lessons is the Skill Progression Chart that identifies key skills

for each domain, beginning with grade 6 and adding more complex skills at each subsequent

grade level while reinforcing skills introduced at previous grade levels. The Skill Focus for each

individual lesson identifies the skills actually addressed in that lesson.

Levels of Thinking

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

Close Reading written, spoken, and visual texts

Grammar purposeful use of language for effect

Composition written, spoken, and visual products

Literary Elements Character

Detail

Diction

connotation

denotation

vocabulary

Imagery

Point of View

person

perspective

shift (10)

Theme

Tone

tone determined through

diction, imagery, detail,

point of view, and syntax

Literary Techniques

Irony

Mechanics Punctuation

Phrases Prepositional

Sentences Structure

Analysis of a Text Meaning and Effect related

to parts of speech,

phrases, clauses,

sentences, and syntax

Types (modes) Descriptive

Expository

analytical

The Process of Composition Drafting

extended time

timed

Style/Voice Deliberate Manipulation of

Point of View (10)

Imitation of Stylistic Models

Use of Literary Techniques

(8)

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Teacher Overview—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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Connections to AP* Analysis of point of view and tone (and the literary and rhetorical devices connected with them)

is a skill required of students in both the free response and multiple choice sections of AP

English Literature and AP English Language exams.

*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board. The College

Board was not involved in the production of this material.

Materials and Resources

copies of Student Activity

Prezi presentation: ―Ozymandias‖

different colored highlighters

Assessments The following kinds of formative assessments are embedded in this lesson:

guided questions

graphic organizers

writing assignments

Teaching Suggestions

Teachers should allow multiple days to fully complete this lesson. The suggestions for writing

practice assignments range from creative narrative to persuasive essay to a style analysis essay.

Teachers should choose the one(s) most appropriate for their students. The Prezi presentation

will introduce the students to the poem, background information, and the frame story. After

viewing the Prezi, students can then go through the Student Activity.

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Teacher Overview—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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Answers Answers for this lesson are provided here, but some are subjective and will vary. To obtain the

maximum benefit of the lesson, ask students to go beyond the expected responses.

1.–3.

Person in poem Pronouns referring

to this person

Phrases that refer to

or describe this

person

Speaker’s opinion

about Ozymandias’

accomplishments

First Speaker

I (line 1) impressed by the

story, enough so to

repeat it; must have

realized the message

Second Speaker

Who (line 2) traveler (line 1)

from an antique land

(line 1)

who said (line 2)

negative toward

Ozymandias; recounts

what the sculptor saw,

seeming to agree with

the description

Sculptor

well those passions

read (line 6)

recognized and read

Ozymandias well;

knew better than to

cross him

Ozymandias

(person or statue)

them (line 3)

whose (line 4)

its (line 6)

My (line 10)

my (line 11)

two vast and trunkless

legs of stone stand in

the desert (lines 2-3)

a shattered visage

(line 4)

frown…wrinkled

lips…sneer of cold

command (lines 4-5)

these lifeless things

(line 7)

the pedestal (line 9)

king of kings (line 10)

that colossal wreck

(lines 12-13)

How does he view

himself?

all mighty; ultimate

ruler; commander of

all; no pity for

anyone; he is the

greatest of all kings

ever; he will never be

forgotten

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Teacher Overview—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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Ozymandias

I met a traveler 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,

(5) 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:

(10) ―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.

4. b. Ozymandias’. (Answers will vary for the rest of this question.)

d. to introduce the person who actually saw the statue and relate what he saw/felt

e. The speaker must have realized there was a message/theme in the story and life of

Ozymandias.

f. Adding another speaker adds to the importance of the message. It also adds to the

timelessness in that the story could have been passed around for years.

5. Answers will vary.

Evidence

(important words, images, and details used

to describe Ozymandias)

Inferences—Commentary

(based on the evidence selected)

frown

wrinkled lip

sneer of cold command

passions

king of kings

cruel adjective

Ozymandias’ frown and sneer indicate that he

is a heartless character, one who wanted to be

perceived by his people as unbending and

unforgiving.

self-important adjective

He speaks of himself as “king of kings.” He

clearly sees himself as the ultimate ruler,

above all others.

6. Answers will vary. Ozymandias is portrayed as a(n) cruel person, as illustrated through his

“sneer of cold command” (line 5). His scornful expression shows contempt of his subjects,

and the fact that his style of command is “cold” shows a total lack of concern for their well-

being.

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Teacher Overview—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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7.

Words or Phrases Associated with

Decay

Words or Phrases Associated with

Rulers

trunkless (line 2)

half sunk (line 4)

shattered (line 4)

lifeless (line7)

wreck (line 13)

nothing remains (line 12)

wreck (line 13)

bare (line 13)

command (line 5)

pedestal (line 9)

kings (line 10)

works (line 11)

Mighty (line 11)

colossal (line 13)

c. Answers will vary, but will be some variation of these: temporary glory and power versus

the inevitable, unaffected passage of time.

8. While Ozymandias saw himself as a(n) mighty, powerful king, the speaker sees the ancient

ruler as one who believed himself to be godlike, unaffected by the passing of time. He is

somewhat pitiable, somehat laughable, and , in the end, a reminder that all are mortal and

forgettable.

9. “despair”—to lose all hope a. He means to say that all those who confront him must

give up all hope of defeating or overcoming him; they must bow down to his might.

b. Those who arrogantly view themselves as ultimately mighty and powerful will one day fall

as will their mighty works.

10. It is ironic that the ruler who bragged and told others to despair now has his mighty statue

broken and strewn about the desert sands. Nothing has remained intact: not his power, his

glory, his works, and especially his statue to commemorate himself.

11. Ozymandias and his rule have disintegrated, but the work of art (the poem) about that

disintegration has survived. The word lives on, just as it is said that the pen is more powerful

than the sword.

12. Answers will vary.

a. human achievement—If the achievements consist of physical works or suppression of

others, then those achievements are irrelevant and temporary. They will not be

remembered in a positive light.

b. power—If the power and leadership is used to suppress others and bring destruction, the

leader will be regarded as a cruel and heartless tyrant. That leader will surely fall

because of the excessive pride.

c. arrogance—Excessive pride (hubris) will cause one’s downfall, and the fall of a king

makes a greater and more memorable impact.

d. nature—Nature is unaffected by man and his “works.” Nature can destroy anything man

builds even though man may think it is indestructible.

e. art—Works of art speak universal truth and last throughout time. Works of literature

survive but not so physical works.

f. fame and wealth—Fame and wealth do not survive. Legends may live on for a while, but

wealth is gone and can’t be taken into the afterlife.

Page 8: Theme and Point of View: “Ozymandias” Foundation Lesson

English

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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Theme and Point of View: “Ozymandias” Foundation Lesson

Read the poem below. Use the activities that follow it to help understand its meaning.

Ozymandias

I met a traveler 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, (5) 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: (10) “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.

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Point of View

What is First Person Point of View?

When an author chooses to use first person point of view, he or she tells the story as though the narrator, or speaker, were speaking directly to the reader. The narrator uses the word “I” as a subject and tells the story using only what he or she, the narrator/speaker, personally knows or feels about it. This poem is complicated in its point of view—it has a “frame story” that surrounds the real story. There are multiple persons in this poem: a first speaker who introduces the second speaker, a second speaker who truly tells the story, a sculptor who does not speak, and Ozymandias, whose words are chiseled into the base of an ancient ruined statue. In prose, the person who speaks is called the narrator.

In poetry, the person who speaks is referred to as the speaker.

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Student Activity—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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1. Using the pronouns listed below, fill in the second column of the chart with the pronouns associated with that speaker. a. “I” (line 1) e. “its” (line 6) b. “Who” (line 2) g. “My” (line 10) c. “them” (line 3) g. “my” (line 11) d. “whose” (line 4)

Person in poem Pronouns referring

to this person

Phrases that refer to

or describe this

person

Speaker’s opinion

about Ozymandias’

accomplishments

First Speaker

Second Speaker

Sculptor

Ozymandias (person or statue)

How does he view himself?

2. Fill in the third column of the chart with the words or phrases listed below. Tell to whom it refers by placing it with the corresponding speaker in the first column.

a. “traveler” (line 1) b. “from an antique land” (line 1) c. “Who said” (line 2) d. “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert” (lines 2-3) e. “on the sand” (line 3) f. “a shattered visage” (line 4) g. “frown,” “wrinkled lip,” “sneer of cold command” (lines 4-5) h. “well those passions read” (line 6) i. “these lifeless things” (line 7) j. “the pedestal” (line 9) k. “king of kings” (line 10) l. “the decay of that colossal wreck” (lines 12-13)

3. For the fourth column, consider each speaker’s role in the poem. In the box, describe briefly

the speaker’s view of Ozymandias.

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Student Activity—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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4. Go back to the poem and consider each speaker. a. Highlight the first speaker’s words. b. Highlight the words in quotation marks in a different color. Whose words are they?

How do his own words give the reader a sense of

his character?

c. Highlight the words of the second speaker in a third color.

d. What is the role of the first speaker?

e. Why does the first speaker tell this story?

f. Why do you think the poet chose to include the first speaker rather than have only the

second speaker tell the story?

Characterization

5. Create a character journal entry by listing words, images, and details used to describe Ozymandias. From this evidence, write in the second column adjectives describing him and an analysis of how the evidence leads you to this inference.

Evidence

(important words, images, and details used

to describe Ozymandias)

Inferences—Commentary

(based on the evidence selected)

adjective adjective

The analytical chunk incorporates direct evidence from the passage or poem combined with context, inferences and commentary. It consists of one or more sentences which reinforce assertions made in the essay or the paragraph.

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Student Activity—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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6. Fill in the blanks below to write an analytical chunk, using evidence, inferences, and

commentary from the journal entry. The analytical chunk should contain an assertion, along

with evidence and commentary.

Ozymandias is portrayed as a(n) person, as illustrated through (inference)

his (line ). (evidence)

(commentary)

(commentary)

Diction, Imagery, and Contrasts

7. The following chart associates two contrasting ideas.

a. The last word of line 12 is “decay.” Fill in the first column of the chart below with all the

words or phrases in the poem that you associate with decay or ruin.

b. The last words of line 10 are “king of kings.” Fill in the second column of the chart with

all the words or phrases in the poem that can be associated with kings or rulers.

Words or Phrases Associated with

Decay

Words or Phrases Associated with

Rulers

c. What ideas are contrasted in the poem?

8. What does this contrast suggest about the attitude of the speaker toward Ozymandias?

While Ozymandias saw himself as a(n) ,

the speaker sees the ancient ruler as

.

9. Look at the word “despair” in line 11. Define the verb “despair.”

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Student Activity—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

Copyright © 2012 Laying the Foundation®, Inc., Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.ltftraining.org.

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a. Paraphrase what Ozymandias means by “despair” in his message to the viewer of the

statue.

b. How might the reader interpret the word “despair” in the context of the entire poem?

Tone and Theme

Irony is a literary technique marked by surprising, interesting, or amusing contradiction. Irony

can be classified as

verbal (when a speaker says one thing while meaning the opposite).

dramatic (when a character says or does something that has a different meaning for the

character than for the audience).

situational (when a situation turns out differently from what one would normally expect).

10. Look again at the words on the pedestal (lines 10-11). What is ironic about this message,

considering the condition of the colossal statue?

11. Why is it ironic that the poem has survived for all these years?

Theme is the generalization about life—the universal meaning—that is revealed in a literary

piece.

12. What does the poem suggest about these aspects of life?

a. human achievement

b. power

c. arrogance

d. nature

e. art

f. fame and wealth

Composition Ideas 1. Write a story or narrative poem in which a person from the future discovers a remnant of our

own civilization (perhaps a monument, a building, or a diary) and ponders about what America

in the twenty-first century must have been like. In your story or narrative poem, experiment

with Shelley’s technique of using multiple narrators. Include some other elements of Shelley’s

writing such as vivid diction and imagery.

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Student Activity—Theme and Point of View “Ozymandias”

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2. Write an essay in which you analyze how the speaker’s attitude toward Ozymandias is

developed by the poet. Consider such elements as point of view, syntax, diction, and imagery.

3. Write an essay in which you describe what you wish your legacy to be and why.

4. If you had a statue made of yourself to last through time, what message would you have

inscribed on the base of the statue? Explain why you would choose this message.