MightyDespair:PowerandIronyinOzymandias

Ozymandias,Shelleysfamouspoem,revealstheimpermanenceofhuman
achievement.Thepoemdescribesacrumblingstatue,acolossalwreckintheformofa
longlostking.ThereaderofthepoemisthriceremovedfromOzymandias,asthespeaker
relatesastoryheheardfromatravellerwhoencounteredthestatueinthedesert.Aplate
beneaththestatuereadsLookonmyworks,yeMighty,anddespair!ThoughOzymandias
presumablymeansthatothermightykingsshoulddespairattheirinabilitytomatchhisstrength,
thestatementironicallyevokesdespairinthereadersofthepoembyremindingthemofthe
impermanenceofhumanworks.
Thetravellerdescribestheshatteredstatue,abandonedtosinkinthedesert.Hebegins
buildingtheimageofthestatuebyemphasizingitssize,referringtoitascolossalandvast.
Earlyinthepoem,thisdescriptionservestocreateasenseofthegrandnessofthestatueand
thestory,butlateritwillcreatethesensethatevenincredibleachievementswillbelosttotime.
WhilethestatuesfacestillconveyssomethingofOzymandiassnature,it,too,ultimately
reinforcestheimpermanenceofhumanworks.Bydescribingthesculptorsskill(itssculptor
wellthatpassionread),thespeakerbeginstobuildthedespaircentraltothepoem.Neither
themightofaking(Ozymandias)northeskillofanartist(thesculptor)allowsthemonumentto
survivethetestoftime.
ThepoemseparatesthereaderfromOzymandias:itdoesnotdescribethekinghimself,
butthespeakerhearingatravellertellofastatuehesawinthedesert.Thisseparationiscentral
tothesenseofimpermanenceinthepoem.IfthepoemexposedthereadertoOzymandiass
mightiness,itmightlendasenseofmeaningtoOzymandiassworks.Instead,thepoemreveals
theephemeralnatureofpowerandartistrybyseparatingthereaderfromboththekingandhis
monument.EventhoughOzymandiaswasseeminglypowerfulenoughtobuildthestatue,the
speakeronlyhearsofhimthroughhappenstance.Ifthespeakerhadnevermetthetraveler,the
travelerhadneverfoundthestatue,orOzymandiashadnevercommissionedthestatue,the
speakermighthaveneverheardofOzymandias,letaloneexperiencedasenseofhismight.
ThisdiscoveryofOzymandiasbychance,coupledwiththeseparationofthespeakerfromthe
king,createthesenseoflossaroundOzymandiassworks.
Beneaththestatue,onthepedestal,aplacardreadsMynameisOzymandias,kingof
kings:/Lookonmyworks,yeMighty,anddespair!Whendictatingthisplacard,Ozymandias
surelyintendedtoproclaimhismighttoanyonedrawingnearthestatue.Thephrasekingof
kingsdemonstratesthathewasverypowerful,perhapsmoreakintoanemperorthanthe
princeofanationstate.Whilethecommandtodespair!onceimploredhissubjectsand
enemiestodreadhispower,itnowimploresthereadertodespairatfleetingnatureofhumanity.
Throughdecay,timeinvertsthisstatementtoimplythatnomatterhowpowerfulyouare,orhow
greatyourworks,youwilleventuallyfadeintoobscurity.
Asenseoftheimpermanenceofhumanachievementpermeatesthispoem.Thepoems
focusonvastnesshelpsevokeasenseOzymandiasmight,heighteningthereadersdespair
atthestatuesdecay.BydistancingthereaderfromOzymandiasspowerthroughlayersof
storytellers(thesculptor,thetraveller,andthespeaker),andtheironicstatementengravedon
thestatuespedestal,thepoemrevealstimesdominanceoverallhumanworks,including

words.Thepoemdescribesthefutilityofamassingskillandpower,leavingthereaderto
contemplatetheephemeralnatureofhumanlife.