Ozymandias
By Percy Bysshe Shelley


I met a traveler 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.
                    Percy Bysshe Shelley                                
       picture of shelley

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Footnotes on Ozymandias

Ozymandias - The Greek name for the Eqyptian King Rameses II (1279-1212 BC). The Greek breakdown for the word Ozymandias is 'ozium' and 'mandate'. These words translate into breath or air and to rule.

Traveler -  A person who is traveling or travels

Antique - Refers to the old but historic land

Visage - A persons face. The speaker refers visage as ‘Ozymandias' shattered face, just lying there half sunk in the ground.

Trunkless - This refers to the statue of ‘Ozymandias' not having any legs.

Sneer of cold command - This stands for ‘Ozymandias' having a stern look on his face as he lays there in the ground.

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed - The poet is speaking of the scultor whose work his is observing and describing how he can see the passion that went into the work

My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! - Ozymandias is the Greek name for Ramses II this was written on the statue honoring him.
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