Question

How are the poems "Ozymandias" and "The Battle of Blenheim" the same?

A) In both poems there is strong evidence of foreshadowing, giving the reader a
very good idea that something very bad is about to happen.
B) Both poems are told from the 1st person perspective, which gives the
readers a very clear impression of what's going on in the speaker's mind.
C) In both poems, physical remains (the statue in "Ozymandias," the skulls in
"The Battle of Blenheim") are all that is left of something that was considered
great. Focusing on these remains, the poets show the futility of conquest.
D) Coincidentally, both poems have similar settings in that they both take place
in the desert. The desert, in this case, is symbolic of the emptiness of men's
hearts when they engage in war.

Answer 1

Option C: In both poems, physical remains (the statue in "Ozymandias," the skulls in "The Battle of Blenheim") are all that is left of something that was considered great. Focusing on these remains, the poets show the futility of conquest.

Step-by-step explanation:

Percy Shelly wrote the poem titled "Ozymandias" in the form of a sonnet which was published in 1818. It explores the ravages of time and how important deeds are long forgotten. The underlying message of the poem is that even the greatest men like the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II are fated to be forgotten and all their glory is impermanent. Likewise, "The Battle of Blenheim" is an antiwar poem in the form of a ballad. Robert Southey wrote and published it in 1798. It centers on the most famous battle in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) and the author's point is that war is one of the worst form of human behavior. The skulls that Peterkin and Kaspar find are a testimony to the futility that it was a great war, but no one knows why.