'Ozymandias' is a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It is written in the first person as a traveler's second-hand account and includes an anecdote from someone the traveler once "met". The poem is a sonnet, also written in iambic pentameter. Sonnets are typically written about the power of love, but in this case it is the power of nature and does not follow a regular rhyme scheme that might reflect the upheaval of the storm. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem “Ozymandias” is a wonderful example of irony. Percy Bysshe Shelley uses the elements of imagery and alliteration to first give the reader a sense of a “vast” desert ruin. Shelley then uses alliteration to describe the character of the person represented by the ruin. Finally, Shelley introduces a wonderfully ironic line that is strengthened by the other elements of the poem. Images are an important element of “Ozymandias”. The entire poem is a recollection of a description given to the speaker of a ruin in the desert. Therefore, the poet must use strong imagery to give the reader the feeling of actually being there. First, the speaker describes the ruins as “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone (Shelley 2).” Which gives the reader an idea of ​​how big the ruin is and explains that it is a ruin. One would not expect to see a structure composed only of legs, so the reader can infer that the structure described is actually a ruin. The next line points out to the reader that the setting of the poem is “in the desert.” Having an idea of ​​where and what the poet wants the reader to see the speaker, he then goes on to describe the character of the individual represented by this statue. Line 4 tells the reader that along with the “trunkless stone legs” lies “a shattered face.” The character of the individual represented by the face is stated through alliteration. The speaker describes the bust lying in the desert with a “sneer of cold command.” This is a very deliberate use of alliteration by the poet to emphasize the fact that the face was that of an irreverent man. The poet addresses the question of who this face might belong to with two simple words, “cold command”. Somehow it is clear to the speaker, or rather to the "traveller of an ancient land", that the person represented by this statue was a particularly insensitive individual. This description becomes important when the poet introduces irony in the last lines of the poem. The description of the ruin and that of the man it represents is important because it serves as a preparation for the irony that the poet introduces in line 12. In lines 10-11 it is said that the statue was once a monument to the ruler "Ozymandias, King of the Kings". Through a proclamation on the base of the pedestal Ozymandias once warned all who saw this monument: “Behold my works, O Mighty One, and despair! (Shelley 11).” The wonderful irony of line 12 comes when the speaker says, “Nothing remains but decay.” Even Ozymandias, in all his greatness, could not foresee that his monument to himself would fall into disrepair and leave him looking like a fool. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayThe Irony of the long-forgotten ruler Ozymandias proves to be some justice for the way he ruled. Ozymandias is not remembered, and certainly no one “despairs” his “works.” However, the opposite is true, which proves to be a worthy conclusion to a terrible legacy like that which belonged to Ozymandias. Yes.