'Ozymandias of Egypt' Summary

'Ozymandias' is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, published in 1818. It is a powerful meditation on the fleeting nature of power and the inevitability of time's passage. The poem presents a stark and memorable image of a ruined statue in the desert, once a monument to a powerful pharaoh, now crumbling and forgotten. The speaker encounters a traveler who describes the statue, emphasizing its broken state and the inscription on its pedestal, which reads, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" The inscription serves as a stark reminder of the futility of human ambition and the ultimate triumph of time. 'Ozymandias' explores themes of power, pride, hubris, and the fragility of human achievement in the face of time's relentless march. Shelley uses the poem to critique the excesses of power and the arrogance of those who believe themselves invincible.