NCERT Textbook - Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments | Literature Reader Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


CBSE
10 10
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.4    Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley 
1. Look at the picture given below.
While on a sight-seeing tour to an old and mysterious country far away from 
home, you saw this statue. Discuss with your partner what this picture tells you 
about the people, the place and the ruler. 
Note down your ideas in the web-chart.
106
The place: sand, desert, 
………………………………
The ruler must have been 
………………………………….
The statue: broken, face is 
………………………………….
The people: …………………… 
.………………………………....
My Impressions
Page 2


CBSE
10 10
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.4    Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley 
1. Look at the picture given below.
While on a sight-seeing tour to an old and mysterious country far away from 
home, you saw this statue. Discuss with your partner what this picture tells you 
about the people, the place and the ruler. 
Note down your ideas in the web-chart.
106
The place: sand, desert, 
………………………………
The ruler must have been 
………………………………….
The statue: broken, face is 
………………………………….
The people: …………………… 
.………………………………....
My Impressions
CBSE
Poetry
107
2. Write a letter to your friend about the sight you saw and your impression of it.
3. Now read the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land 
1
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone 
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, 
2
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, 
3
5 And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, 
4
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read 
5
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 upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" 
6
       Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 
       Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare 
       The lone and level sands stretch far away. 
About the Poet
The son of a Rich Tory Squire, Percy Bysshe Shelley was educated at 
Eton and then sent to Oxford. Shelley came under the influence of 
revolutionary ideas of the English philosopher, William Godwin, 
whose daughter, Mary Godwin he ultimately married. In 1818, Shelley 
left for Italy; he drowned in the Bay of Spezia in 1822.
4. Answer the following questions by ticking the correct  options.
(a) The poem is set in ____________________________________________
(i) the wilderness
(ii) an ancient land 
(iii) a palace 
1 trunkless:  without the upper body (the main part of the body of a human being or an animal, 
excluding the head, neck, and limbs)
2 visage:  face 
3 sneer:  facial expression of scorn or hostility in which the upper lip may be raised
4 read:  interpreted 
5 stamped: sculpted 
6 beside:  else
Page 3


CBSE
10 10
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.4    Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley 
1. Look at the picture given below.
While on a sight-seeing tour to an old and mysterious country far away from 
home, you saw this statue. Discuss with your partner what this picture tells you 
about the people, the place and the ruler. 
Note down your ideas in the web-chart.
106
The place: sand, desert, 
………………………………
The ruler must have been 
………………………………….
The statue: broken, face is 
………………………………….
The people: …………………… 
.………………………………....
My Impressions
CBSE
Poetry
107
2. Write a letter to your friend about the sight you saw and your impression of it.
3. Now read the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land 
1
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone 
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, 
2
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, 
3
5 And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, 
4
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read 
5
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 upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" 
6
       Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 
       Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare 
       The lone and level sands stretch far away. 
About the Poet
The son of a Rich Tory Squire, Percy Bysshe Shelley was educated at 
Eton and then sent to Oxford. Shelley came under the influence of 
revolutionary ideas of the English philosopher, William Godwin, 
whose daughter, Mary Godwin he ultimately married. In 1818, Shelley 
left for Italy; he drowned in the Bay of Spezia in 1822.
4. Answer the following questions by ticking the correct  options.
(a) The poem is set in ____________________________________________
(i) the wilderness
(ii) an ancient land 
(iii) a palace 
1 trunkless:  without the upper body (the main part of the body of a human being or an animal, 
excluding the head, neck, and limbs)
2 visage:  face 
3 sneer:  facial expression of scorn or hostility in which the upper lip may be raised
4 read:  interpreted 
5 stamped: sculpted 
6 beside:  else
CBSE
Poetry 
108
(iv) a desert 
(b) The expression on the face of the statue is one of ____________________
(i) admiration
(ii) anger
(iii) despair
(iv) contempt
(c) This poem throws light on the _________________ nature of Ozymandias.
(i) cruel 
(ii) arrogant
(iii) boastful
(iv) aggresive
(d) The sculptor was able to understand  Ozymandias' ___________________
(i) words 
(ii) expression 
(iii) feelings 
(iv) ambition
(e) The tone of the poem is ________________________________________
(i) mocking
(ii) nostalgic
(iii) gloomy
(iv) gloating 
5. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed." Whose hand  and  heart  has 
the poet referred to in this line? 
(b) "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:" Why does Ozymandias refer to himself 
as King of Kings? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement.
(c) "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Who is Ozymandias referring to when 
he speaks of ye Mighty? Why should they despair ?
(d) Bring out the irony in the poem.            
Page 4


CBSE
10 10
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.4    Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley 
1. Look at the picture given below.
While on a sight-seeing tour to an old and mysterious country far away from 
home, you saw this statue. Discuss with your partner what this picture tells you 
about the people, the place and the ruler. 
Note down your ideas in the web-chart.
106
The place: sand, desert, 
………………………………
The ruler must have been 
………………………………….
The statue: broken, face is 
………………………………….
The people: …………………… 
.………………………………....
My Impressions
CBSE
Poetry
107
2. Write a letter to your friend about the sight you saw and your impression of it.
3. Now read the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land 
1
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone 
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, 
2
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, 
3
5 And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, 
4
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read 
5
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 upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" 
6
       Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 
       Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare 
       The lone and level sands stretch far away. 
About the Poet
The son of a Rich Tory Squire, Percy Bysshe Shelley was educated at 
Eton and then sent to Oxford. Shelley came under the influence of 
revolutionary ideas of the English philosopher, William Godwin, 
whose daughter, Mary Godwin he ultimately married. In 1818, Shelley 
left for Italy; he drowned in the Bay of Spezia in 1822.
4. Answer the following questions by ticking the correct  options.
(a) The poem is set in ____________________________________________
(i) the wilderness
(ii) an ancient land 
(iii) a palace 
1 trunkless:  without the upper body (the main part of the body of a human being or an animal, 
excluding the head, neck, and limbs)
2 visage:  face 
3 sneer:  facial expression of scorn or hostility in which the upper lip may be raised
4 read:  interpreted 
5 stamped: sculpted 
6 beside:  else
CBSE
Poetry 
108
(iv) a desert 
(b) The expression on the face of the statue is one of ____________________
(i) admiration
(ii) anger
(iii) despair
(iv) contempt
(c) This poem throws light on the _________________ nature of Ozymandias.
(i) cruel 
(ii) arrogant
(iii) boastful
(iv) aggresive
(d) The sculptor was able to understand  Ozymandias' ___________________
(i) words 
(ii) expression 
(iii) feelings 
(iv) ambition
(e) The tone of the poem is ________________________________________
(i) mocking
(ii) nostalgic
(iii) gloomy
(iv) gloating 
5. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed." Whose hand  and  heart  has 
the poet referred to in this line? 
(b) "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:" Why does Ozymandias refer to himself 
as King of Kings? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement.
(c) "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Who is Ozymandias referring to when 
he speaks of ye Mighty? Why should they despair ?
(d) Bring out the irony in the poem.            
CBSE
Poetry
109
(e) 'Nothing beside remains.' What does the narrator mean when he says these 
words?
(f) What is your impression of Ozymandias as a king? 
(g) What message is conveyed through this poem?
6. Identify and rewrite the lines from the poem spoken by the narrator, the traveller 
and Ozymandias:
The Narrator: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The Traveller: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Ozymandias: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Shelley's sonnet follows the traditional structure of the fourteen-line Italian 
sonnet, featuring an opening octave, or set of eight lines, that presents a conflict 
or dilemma, followed by a sestet, or set of six lines, that offers some resolution or 
commentary upon the proposition introduced in the octave. Read the poem 
carefully and complete the following table on the structure of the poem.
Octave 
Sestet
Rhyme scheme Theme
Page 5


CBSE
10 10
UNIT UNIT
Poetry
P.4    Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley 
1. Look at the picture given below.
While on a sight-seeing tour to an old and mysterious country far away from 
home, you saw this statue. Discuss with your partner what this picture tells you 
about the people, the place and the ruler. 
Note down your ideas in the web-chart.
106
The place: sand, desert, 
………………………………
The ruler must have been 
………………………………….
The statue: broken, face is 
………………………………….
The people: …………………… 
.………………………………....
My Impressions
CBSE
Poetry
107
2. Write a letter to your friend about the sight you saw and your impression of it.
3. Now read the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land 
1
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone 
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, 
2
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, 
3
5 And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, 
4
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read 
5
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 upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" 
6
       Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 
       Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare 
       The lone and level sands stretch far away. 
About the Poet
The son of a Rich Tory Squire, Percy Bysshe Shelley was educated at 
Eton and then sent to Oxford. Shelley came under the influence of 
revolutionary ideas of the English philosopher, William Godwin, 
whose daughter, Mary Godwin he ultimately married. In 1818, Shelley 
left for Italy; he drowned in the Bay of Spezia in 1822.
4. Answer the following questions by ticking the correct  options.
(a) The poem is set in ____________________________________________
(i) the wilderness
(ii) an ancient land 
(iii) a palace 
1 trunkless:  without the upper body (the main part of the body of a human being or an animal, 
excluding the head, neck, and limbs)
2 visage:  face 
3 sneer:  facial expression of scorn or hostility in which the upper lip may be raised
4 read:  interpreted 
5 stamped: sculpted 
6 beside:  else
CBSE
Poetry 
108
(iv) a desert 
(b) The expression on the face of the statue is one of ____________________
(i) admiration
(ii) anger
(iii) despair
(iv) contempt
(c) This poem throws light on the _________________ nature of Ozymandias.
(i) cruel 
(ii) arrogant
(iii) boastful
(iv) aggresive
(d) The sculptor was able to understand  Ozymandias' ___________________
(i) words 
(ii) expression 
(iii) feelings 
(iv) ambition
(e) The tone of the poem is ________________________________________
(i) mocking
(ii) nostalgic
(iii) gloomy
(iv) gloating 
5. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed." Whose hand  and  heart  has 
the poet referred to in this line? 
(b) "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:" Why does Ozymandias refer to himself 
as King of Kings? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement.
(c) "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Who is Ozymandias referring to when 
he speaks of ye Mighty? Why should they despair ?
(d) Bring out the irony in the poem.            
CBSE
Poetry
109
(e) 'Nothing beside remains.' What does the narrator mean when he says these 
words?
(f) What is your impression of Ozymandias as a king? 
(g) What message is conveyed through this poem?
6. Identify and rewrite the lines from the poem spoken by the narrator, the traveller 
and Ozymandias:
The Narrator: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The Traveller: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Ozymandias: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Shelley's sonnet follows the traditional structure of the fourteen-line Italian 
sonnet, featuring an opening octave, or set of eight lines, that presents a conflict 
or dilemma, followed by a sestet, or set of six lines, that offers some resolution or 
commentary upon the proposition introduced in the octave. Read the poem 
carefully and complete the following table on the structure of the poem.
Octave 
Sestet
Rhyme scheme Theme
CBSE
Poetry 
110
8. Complete the table listing the poetic devices used by Shelley in Ozymandias.
Alliteration ...and sneer of cold command
Synecdoche (substitution the hand that mock'd them 
of a part to stand for the 
whole, or the whole to 
stand for a part)
9. Imagine that Ozymandias comes back to life and as he sees the condition of 
his statue, realisation dawns on him and he pens his thoughts in a diary. As 
Ozymandias, make this diary entry in about 150 words. You could begin like 
this:  I thought I was the mightiest of all but...
10. 'Ozymandias' and 'Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments' are on Time.   
Compare the two sonnets in terms of the way in which Time is treated by the 
poets.  Write your answer in about 150 words.
Poetic Device Lines from the poem