What inspired the poem's setting?

• A. Egyptian pharaohs were dictators, which Shelley was opposed to
• B. The poem condemns the ancient Egyptian empire
• C. It was written during the Victorian era about a modern sculpture
• D. Inspired by a statue of Ramses II en route to London in 1817

Answer: (D)

The setting is drawn from a real-world image the poet encountered: a statue of Ramses II being taken to London in the early 1800s. That specific moment—seeing a colossal, ruined Egyptian statue on its way to Britain—gave Shelley's narrator the desert scene and the image of a fallen king. It’s this concrete inspiration that lets the poem explore how power and grandeur can outlive their monuments, ending in decay and silence.

That’s why this option is the best. It ties the setting directly to a particular statue and journey, rather than making broader claims about ancient Egypt, condemning an empire, or describing a modern sculpture in Victorian times. The other ideas miss the precise trigger for the poem’s imagery and mood.