GCELiterature in EnglishNon-African Poetry2024

Which of the following best describes the tone of Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Ozymandias'?

ATriumphant and celebratory
BMelancholic and ironicCORRECT
CAngry and rebellious
DNostalgic and sentimental
AI
Toaster Teacher
Why the answer is B, and why the others tempt you.
The poem is ironic because the proud inscription 'Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' is surrounded by nothing but empty desert, mocking Ozymandias's arrogance. The tone is also melancholic as it meditates on the inevitable decay of all human power and achievement. Shelley uses this irony to make a philosophical point about the futility of pride.
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