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If Leon wants to write about the theme of "Ozymandias," he should describe:

Option 1: his opinion of the poem.
Option 2: his reaction to the poem.
Option 3: the message in the poem.
Option 4: the plot details in the poem.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Leon should focus on describing the message in the poem 'Ozymandias' when writing about its theme, which centers on the fleeting nature of power and the inevitability of decay over time. Option 3 is correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Leon wants to write about the theme of Ozymandias, he should explore the message in the poem.

A brief summary of Ozymandias presents it as a piece that carries a strong central statement about the transience of power and the inevitable decline of all leaders and civilizations, no matter how grand. The poem opens with a description of a vast desert where the ruins of a massive but shattered statue rest, with the façade of a powerful king decrepit and eroded by time. The 'colossal wreck', surrounded by the boundless and barren lands, symbolizes the ephemeral nature of human achievements and the vanity of human pride.

Leon's focus, therefore, when discussing the theme, should not be his personal opinion or reaction, nor the specific plot details of the poem but rather the universal message that poet Percy Bysshe Shelley conveys through the work. The poem uses irony to depict the fate of once-mighty rulers, a theme prevalent throughout the Romantic period, which often contemplated the power of nature over humanity and the ultimate insignificance of human endeavors in the face of time and natural forces.

The correct option for Leon is Option 3: the message in the poem.

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