Irony in Ozymandias

As Christians, we hear numerous times throughout the Gospel of Jesus criticizing the kings and rulers of his day. He knew that their earthly power really meant nothing, they will fade and another king will soon take over. To me, it seems like the central theme of Ozymandias is the deterioration of power and wealth. Ozymandias is the "king of kings" and his pedestal reads "look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!" The irony of this is that Ozymandias in lying a desert and nothing is around him. Power and might on Earth is temporary. Ozymandias was cruel and harsh ("frown and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,") and the people he ruled probably only remembered for that. Shelley conveys this message through his poetry through this kind of comedic irony.