Famous Lines
“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;/ Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
This line introduces Ozymandias through the inscription left behind on his statue. It paints him as a powerful and once proud ruler who refers to himself as the "king of kings." It suggests his arrogance and vanity. He gloats about his great accomplishments and challenges other powerful rulers to try to match them with their own, albeit suggesting his supremacy over them regardless. As the reader progresses, it is made evident that all of Ozymandias’ achievements have been for naught, since nature and time have rendered him and his empire largely forgotten.
"Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,/ And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,"
These lines describe the broken statue of Ozymandias, emphasizing its ruined state. The "shattered visage" refers to the face of the statue, which still bears traces of its former expression—a frown, wrinkled lip, and sneer. These features suggest Ozymandias's stern, vainglorious, and authoritative demeanor, even in decay.
"Tell that its sculptor well those passions read/ Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,"
The speaker reflects on the skill of the statue's sculptor, acknowledging their ability to capture Ozymandias's emotions and character in the stone. Despite the passage of time and the crumbling of the statue, the emotions, and ambitions of Ozymandias are still evident in the sculptor's work, emphasizing the enduring power of art to convey human experience.
