English Literature

The poem starts off with a tourist meeting an explorer. The explorer tells the story of a once powerful king, Ozymandias who's kingdom has now collapsed and all that remains is his broken statue. The poet expresses the importance and significance of art - in this case the sculpture by showing the reader that the statue, although broken is still alive, unlike Ozymandias himself.

The poet describes Ozymandias as an evil king who believed that he was the most powerful to ever exist. In fact, the sculptor was so great that he managed to capture his facial expression, one of terror. The poet proceeds to quote the words engraved on the pedestal at the bottom of the statue:  "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, look on my works ye mighty, and despair," these words highlight his true nature and characteristics. Ozymandias was a proud ruler, the most powerful of his time and he thought he was the greatest to ever exist. However, this is proved to be a lie as Ozymandias died, just like all the previous rulers. With his death came his kingdoms downfall, and to this day, not many remember Ozymandias, and no one remembers his work either. However the artist/sculptor who was thought to be inferior to the king lived on and is remembered to this day by many people. Although the sculptor died physically, his statue is still alive and it is the only way in which people remember who Ozymandias was.

In this poem, Bysshe Shelley shows the reader that material possessions and positions of power will one day finish and once you have passed away, you cannot take either one with you. However, it is by your great and inspiring work that people will remember you and that you will live on.