Famous Poem

"Ozymandias" is a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley that explores the theme of the transience of power and the inevitable decline of all human empires. The poem describes a traveler who encounters the ruins of a statue in the desert, which once depicted a mighty ruler named Ozymandias (believed to be a reference to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II). However, the statue is now broken and deteriorated, with only the legs and a shattered visage remaining. Despite the ruler's boastful inscription declaring his greatness and power, the passage of time has rendered him and his empire insignificant and forgotten. Through this narrative, Shelley conveys the idea that no matter how powerful or imposing a leader may seem in their own time, they are ultimately subject to the ravages of time and will be forgotten by future generations.

Featured Shared Story

No Stories yet, You can be the first!

Share your story! (0)

Famous Poem

Ozymandias

By more Percy Bysshe Shelley

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 mock'd them and the heart that fed;
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. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away;"

Advertisement

more Percy Bysshe Shelley

  • Stories 0
  • Shares 37
  • Favorited 0
  • Votes 8
  • Rating 4.38
Read More Famous Poems
Related Categories

Back to Top