Position:Home>Poetry> Why is Ozymandias an Italian Sonnet?

Original Italian sonnet form in which the sonnet's rhyme scheme divides the poem's 14 lines into two parts, an octave (first eight lines) and a sestet (last six lines)!. The rhyme scheme for the octave is typically abbaabba!.

The octave and sestet have special functions in a Petrarchan sonnet!. The octave's purpose is to introduce a problem, express a desire, reflect on reality, or otherwise present a situation that causes doubt or conflict within the speaker!. It usually does this by introducing the problem within its first quatrain (unified four-line section) and developing it in the second!. The beginning of the sestet is known as the volta, and it introduces a pronounced change in tone in the sonnet; the sestet's purpose as a whole is to make a comment on the problem or to apply a solution to it!.


Now can you fit the info from the poem into these rules!? Do the first four lines introduce the problem of Ozymandias!? Does the end of the poem comment on the problem!? Like the fact that Ozymandias' boasts have all been proven wrong -- his empire is in ruins !.!.!. decayed!.
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Your teacher is asking for a bit of research to answer that question!. The first reason is not too obscure!. Ozymandias is an Italian sonnet, or more correctly, a Petrarchian sonnet, because of its form: an eight line iambic stanza followed by a six line iambic stanza, regardless of rhyme scheme!. The second reason is really pulling one in from left field!. The poem was written by Shelley at a time when an Italian named Giovanni Belzoni acquired with much fanfare for the British Museum a huge statue of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ra messes, aka, Ozymandias, and this suggested the subject to Shelley, who wrote the poem for a poetry contest!. Thus it has a second Italian connection!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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