Theme in Shelley's "Ozymandias"

In Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” the author establishes the theme “nothing lasts” by using specific imagery, speaker’s voices, and by contrasting this fact with the idea that some things stand the test of time. Our unnamed speaker begins by recounting the story of a “traveler from and antique land” (line 1), in which the traveler tells of the ruins of an ancient statue that bears the resemblance of King Ramses II. Using the main speaker’s recollection of the traveler’s view of the sculpture sets the initial tone of the poem and creates the case for the authors theme on more than one level.

The traveler’s words have dual meaning when describing the statue, telling of the monument and the legacy of the leader which it represents; “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone” (2); “Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown / And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command” (4-5). Shelley conveys a tone of greatness and power associated with the once mighty statue and the civilization and king for which it stood, yet at the same time shows how this prominent ode to power crumbled at the hands of time. The author once again reinforces this; “’My name is Ozymandias, king of kings / Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’ / Nothing besides remains” (10-12). Shelley uses situational irony to deliver his message that power, over time, fades as do the accomplishments associated with it even for the most powerful of men.

In contrast to this the poet asserts that some things do remain after the effects of time, and in doing so offers a view of the poet also. In line 5 the physical description of the statue is finished by the traveler, leading to a compliment of the sculptor, “Tell that its sculptor well those passions read / Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things” (6-7). This passage shows that even after its destruction the craftsmanship with which the monument was constructed is still apparent, and the skill of the artisan must have been great indeed to capture the emotion of a man so enraptured by power. Here the poet makes a point about all works of art; Shelley wants us to see beyond the greatness of the king for which the statue was erected, and appreciate the beauty of the thing itself, not what should be represented. His main contention being that when a craftsman’s heart and soul is poured into a work, its construction is a thing of beauty and will outlive “The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed” (8).