Romantic Circles
High School

MOOzymandias: The Many Spaces of Shelley's Sonnet, "Ozymandias"



INTRODUCTION

The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote "Ozymandias" late in 1817, possibly as part of a kind of game or contest with his friend, Horace Smith, to see if both could compose a sonnet on the theme of the ruined monument to himself built by Pharoah Ramses II in the Egyptian desert. Shelley's sonnet was published January 11, 1818 in the weekly journal, The Examiner.

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines following a set rhyme scheme and other poetic conventions. Part of the challenge of writing a sonnet is to try to express a theme, or certain ideas and feelings, within the constraints of the form. It's like playing a game according to the rules or within the confines of a field or a court--or of a digital environment.

MOOzymandias is a MOOspace dedicated to "Ozymandias." It's like a serious game, a way to explore and learn about Shelley's sonnet and its contexts within the confines of an imaginary virtual Egyptian tomb and its mazelike network of tunnels. You can explore the existing space (and come back as often as you like); but for this assignment you will also create something new, a room of your own in the virtual maze, something others that come after you can experience, and from which they can learn.



LEARNING MODULE

1. Read Shelley's sonnet (in the RCHS reader), paying special attention to words you might not immediately understand. Choose one such word as your keyword. 2. Enter MOOzymandias and explore the objects and passageways you find there, working your way through the virtual space to find and read the complete text of Shelley's sonnet (14 lines) in the time your teacher has alloted.

3. As you explore, look for the basket of keys. Take one ("type "take key1" or "take key2" etc., depending on the numbers you see in the basket) and carry it with you as you make your way out of the tomb, into the desert, and beyond. (You must be carrying a key to take the final portion of the journey.)

4. When you get to the final destination, read the clue in the clouds and follow the directions. These directions in the clouds will tell you how to create your own "room" (that's the literal translation of "stanza") in order to complete the assignment.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: WHEN THIS MODULE IS ACTIVATED THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THIS PAGE AND MOVED TO THE SKY ROOM IN THE MOO. ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE MADE THEIR WAY THROUGH MOOZYMANDIAS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THEM (ONE WAY TO ENSURE THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST PORTION OF THE EXERCISE). WE ASSUME STUDENTS WILL BE TAKEN THROUGH THE BASIC STEPS OF CREATING MOO OBJECTS (AND USING THEM TO RESPOND TO A TEXT) BEFORE UNDERTAKING THE ASSIGNMENT. THE INITIAL EXPLORATION CAN TAKE PLACE IN ONE OR TWO CLASS PERIODS OR OVERNIGHT. THE OTHER STEPS MAY TAKE SEVERAL DAYS AND CAN BE ASSIGNED AS HOMEWORK. ACCORDING TO LOCAL NEEDS, THE ASSIGNMENT CAN BE DONE IN COLLABORATING SMALL TEAMS.

DIRECTIONS:
1. Click on your "objects" button and create a generic room by selecting the generic room icon from the lefthand menu.

2. Name your room with your login name (e.g., "JohnR's room"). Edit the room object. Describe it any way you like ("you find yourself in a small/dark/brightly-lit"--whatever "chamber/room/cave"), but attach a one-paragraph definition of your chosen keyword from Shelley's sonnet, based on what you have found in MOOzymandias. NOTE: you may consult a dictionary but must not copy the dictionary definition into your room object. Your definition should come from objects and spaces and experiences in the MOOzymandias space itself. Now decorate your room with at least three new "generic thing" objects that help you interpret the word you have chosen. (After creating them go to your new room and type "drop " in the room. Refreshing the page should show the dropped object as you put it in the room.)

Your room will remain in limbo until your teacher reviews it and MOO wizards determine whether to attach it to the MOOzymandias maze.




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