an antique land

In an example of one of his more political pieces, here Shelley paints an image of crumbling empire in the statue of Ozymandias. As a decomposing monument representing the impermanence of belief and man-made ritual, Ozymandias’ pedestal declares, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:”, alluding to biblical references of Jesus. Yet, all around, the sands of time have proven their interminable action, engulfing and destroying the once proud monument of man, “Nothing beside remains: round the decay/ Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare/ The lone and level sands stretch far away.” The statue ironically still bares an expression of man’s self-importance: “Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown/ And wrinkled lip sneer of cold command.”

Perhaps, Shelley like Byron is commenting on the human tendency to fall into convention. At the least Shelley puts things into perspective, revealing time’s unceasing progression and indifference. Here I can think of the fall of great civilizations as those in Mesopotamia and the Mayan Empire, with only archaeology and museum relics to represent them. More effective than Byron, Shelley describes more of a post-Apocalyptic landscape to convey his message.