Percy Bysshe Shelley

The irony of RamsesÆ (called Ozymandias in ShelleyÆs sonnet) claim to fame is that although the King brags of his everlasting greatness and vast kingdom, nothing remains. ôMy name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!ö (line 10). Ozymandias is addressing his words to other leaders who believe they are as mighty as he was, telling them to behold his works as the most glorious. The irony appears in the first three words of the next line: ôNothing beside remains.ö All of the past kingÆs works and accomplishments have turned to dust, becoming part of the vast nothingness of the desert. This is made clear in line 14, the final line of the sonnet: ôLone and level sands stretch far away;ö the landscape of the desert sand is more immense and lasting than OzymandiasÆ kingdom. Neither he nor his kingdom was immortal, in spite of his belief that his works would last forever. This is the climax of the sonnet, made more powerful by the octave that acts as a build up to the poemÆs theme.

The poem is built around the metaphor of a ruined statue of Ozymandias in the desert, an implied comparison between the arrogant boast of a great political ruler and the reality of t

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Some common words found in the essay are:
Ozymandias ShelleyÆs, Bysshe ShelleyÆs, Horace Smith, King RamsesÆ, name ozymandias, Martin's Press, Hennessy Vendler, ye mighty despairö, Percy Bysshe, name ozymandias king, ômy name ozymandias, ômy name, ônothing beside, ye mighty, mighty despairö, percy bysshe, ozymandias king,
Approximate Word count = 1006
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)

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