Ozymandias

In the poem “Ozymandias” the poet is using the element of imagery in order to enrich the poem. The image of the king’s shattered stone statue demonstrates the destruction of power and immortality. The poet describes the desolate surroundings of the statue as a contrast to the colossal sculpture. The description of the statue’s facial expression implies the king’s cruelness and evil personality.

The image of the king’s shattered stone statue demonstrates the destruction of power and immortality. The king believes that by building a colossal statue in his figure he can preserve his power and become immortal. The vivid and ironic picture of the king’s statue with only the legs and head remaining shows that nothing is permanent in life not even stone. The poet is trying to show that everything loses power over time.

The poet describes the desolate surroundings of the statue as a contrast to the colossal sculpture. One would expect that the king’s great statue would be surrounded by equal greatness or something that would glorify its presence. But this expectation is contradicted. The picture of the great statue surrounded by a desolate desert emphasizes the true value of the king’s sculpture as an empty and worthless creation. The strong image of the statue’s surroundings can also have a symbolic meaning to the victory of nature over man.