I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert.... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
Questions:
i. What is the theme of the stanza?
ii. Identify the figurative language used in the given stanza.
iii. How does the description of the shattered visage in the desert contribute to the overall mood of the poem?
iv. Discuss the significance of the phrases "wrinkled lip" and "sneer of cold command" in conveying the emotions of the sculpted figure.
v. How does the speaker suggest the endurance of human emotions and passions through the description of the lifeless statue?
vi. Analyze the implications of the lines "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed" in the context of the stanza.