I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
21-01-2024 16:11:24
The traveler describes the colossal remains of the statue, emphasizing the pride and arrogance of the figure it once portrayed, the ancient king Ozymandias. Despite the grandeur and power that the statue once represented, it now lies in ruins, surrounded by desolate and empty landscapes.
21-01-2024 16:11:48
The poem meditates on the theme of the transience of human achievements and the inevitable decay of all earthly things. It serves as a powerful reminder of the fleeting nature of power and the impermanence of human glory. The message of the poem is timeless and thought-provoking, as it urges us to contemplate the ultimate futility of pride and the ephemeral nature of human accomplishments.