What Does Ozymandias Represent

The poem, “Ozymandias,” written by Percy Bysshe Shelley, is a short yet striking sonnet of a king who prides himself as a powerful and aristocratic leader. The speaker tells a story of a traveler who he met in an antique land. The traveler tells a story about witnessing an old statue in the middle of a lonely desert. The poet characterizes King Ozymandias through a deserted ancient artifact in Egypt. The statue is broken, but it still holds significant meaning which is portrayed through the king’s face. Through the description of the ancient artifact, the reader understands the king was a powerful and harsh leader. King Ozymandias is compared with his desert surrounding which is bare and empty, to convey the message that he is no longer mighty

Firstly, to illustrate Ozymandias character, the poet uses many terms in order for the reader to create an understanding of his character. The poet, Shelley, uses words such as antique, stone, desert, and sand to inform the reader that the setting of the poem is in Egypt; additionally, these words are used to describe an ancient statue. The use of vivid imagery through lines 4 and 5, “half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown/ and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,” helps the reader visualize that the ancient artifact is about a ruler with a callous personality. Words like “half sunk” and “shattered” signifies that King Ozymandias is no longer precious and the reign he had has declined. The image of a shattered statue in a vacant desert, delivers the message of the king being abandoned and insignificant. Thus, Ozymandias” is a satiric and mocking poem. Furthermore, the shift in line 10 and 11of the poem, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” exemplifies that the king embodied himself as a noble and important