What Irony do You Find in the Poem “Ozymandias”?

What irony do you find in the poem “Ozymandias”?

“Ozymandias,” (1822) a famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), shows how time destroys everything. The poem is filled with deep irony. Irony means when things turn out the opposite of what we expect. In this poem, the irony is very strong.

The poem describes a huge statue of Ozymandias, a powerful king. The statue was made to show how great he was. On the pedestal of the statue, there is an inscription. The king calls himself “King of Kings” and says that his works are so amazing that the mighty should look and feel hopeless. He thinks his power will last forever.

However, the irony comes when we see the statue now. The statue is broken. Only two legs and a shattered face remain. Nothing is left of Ozymandias’s empire. The great king who once thought he was unstoppable is now forgotten. His “works” are gone, and all that remains is sand.

This is the ultimate irony. The king’s pride and power are lost to time. The message of his inscription, “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” is now meaningless. Instead of seeing greatness, people see only ruins. Time has crushed what Ozymandias thought was permanent. The poem teaches us that nothing lasts forever, no matter how powerful we think we are.

In the end, the poem reminds us of the humble truth: nothing in this world is permanent.