Which feature describes Ozymandias' meter and subject?

• A. Ozymandias is written in free verse about a shipwreck
• B. Afternoons uses strict rhyme and meter
• C. Ozymandias uses iambic pentameter and features a statue in a desert
• D. Mametz Wood is a sonnet about trenches

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is how the form and the image work together. Ozymandias is crafted in iambic pentameter, five feet per line with an unstressed-stressed rhythm, which gives the poem a dignified, measured pace typical of a sonnet. This formal rhythm mirrors the grand boast found in the inscription on the pedestal, while the description of a ruined statue in a desert creates a stark contrast that underscores theme of hubris and impermanence. The subject—the statue of a king, standing in a desolate landscape—is central: two vast and trunkless legs, a shattered visage, and the lines “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” all point to a grand claim doomed to decay. So this option best captures both the metrical form and the core image. It isn’t describing free verse about a shipwreck, nor is it about the poem Afternoons or Mametz Wood, which belong to different works.