Symbolism In The Poem Ozymandias

Everyone tries to be powerful, some even start wars over it, however, in the end, it never lasts. Such is the case with Ozymandias in Percy Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias”. The poem describes the statue of Ozymandias, or what is left of it. This powerful sight now lay in ruins showing anyone who goes to see it that power does not last. Percy Shelley, in his poem “Ozymandias”, uses imagery, irony, and symbolism, to convey the message that power is fleeting.
The use of imagery in the poem reveals the transience of power. Shelley, at the beginning of the poem, starts off by writing, “‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone/ Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, / Half shrunk a shattered visage lies’” (Shelley 2-4). The image of this broken

Shelley illustrates the statue as dull and dead: ‘“Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, / The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed”’ (Shelley 7-8). Ozymandias had this statue created in his image to showcase his power. These lines describe him as both a cruel and loving ruler, however, as Shelley writes he is also now lifeless. Furthermore, a lifeless thing is also powerless, therefore, Ozymandias is powerless. Ozymandias erected this great statue so everyone could witness his power forever, however, with time that power has been lost. The story Shelley presents of Ozymandias is ironic because he thought his legacy would conquer all time and people would remember the powerful man he was, contrary to his belief though, his power has been lost and his statue has wasted away. Shelley writes, ‘“And on the pedestal, these words appear: / ‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; / Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair!’ Nothing beside remains”’ (Shelley 9-12). Ozymandias is commanding all who go to see the statue and look to see what he has created, however, nothing besides his fragmented statue remains. Ozymandias wanted everyone to be impressed by all he had done and how powerful he was, yet all he has to show for it is the broken ruin. His power has not lasted, but depleted leaving all he had in ruins, or gone. Ozymandias’s life is ironic because of how powerful he believed he was, but in

Shelley writes about the remains of the statue: ‘“Near them, on the sand, / Half sunk a shattered visage lies”’ (Shelley 3-4). Shelley is talking about how over time the sand has come and buried half the statue. The sand then, can be discussed as the great equalizer. Instead of allowing Ozymandias to stay all powerful the sand has come through and taken away that power, but burying his statue, making his no better than anyone else. The sand is helping to convey the message that power does not last. Shelley uses sand again as a symbol when he writes, ‘“Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare/ The lone and level sands stretch far away” (Shelley 12-14). Again, sand is being used as a great leveler or “the sands of time” they are showing how everything collapses eventually, so power can never last. The sands have cleared out the rest of Ozymandias’s empire and in doing this reveal that eventually everything gets wiped out and nothing can last. The sands have left Ozymandias alone and destroyed in the desert, taking away, and even literally covering, his power. Sand is used as a symbol to help defend the fact that power does not last.
By using imagery, irony, and symbolism Percy Shelley is able to expose the truth that power is only brief. Shelley uses a description of the statue to display how power does become lost over time regardless of how someone may try to keep it. Ozymandias had a