The mighty achievement of the king, conquering land to build an empire, did not last; the land has reclaimed it. It becomes stressed that the works of human kind will not last forever, and that it is inevitable that the earth will take back what is rightfully hers. The irony also doubles as mockery, showing Ozymandias as foolish and narcissistic for believing he could create something that would outlast the laws of nature. It belittles him and his achievement, which adds even extra irony because the statue of him is quite large. The irony is so strong and provides such a vivid picture that without it, the central theme of the poem would not have been conveyed with such power. This depth provides a warning to the reader about the consequences of the hubris of
The mighty achievement of the king, conquering land to build an empire, did not last; the land has reclaimed it. It becomes stressed that the works of human kind will not last forever, and that it is inevitable that the earth will take back what is rightfully hers. The irony also doubles as mockery, showing Ozymandias as foolish and narcissistic for believing he could create something that would outlast the laws of nature. It belittles him and his achievement, which adds even extra irony because the statue of him is quite large. The irony is so strong and provides such a vivid picture that without it, the central theme of the poem would not have been conveyed with such power. This depth provides a warning to the reader about the consequences of the hubris of