Situational Irony: Ozymandias

"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..."

This poem incorporates irony into the loss of power. So many people strive to be rich, powerful, and controlling. Like Ozymandias, they build up representations of their influence whether in reputation, wealth, materials, or position. They show these tangible signs of power to the entire world in order to communicate that power and feed themselves with pride. Ozymandias in the poem did something similar with the great architectural works that he had instructed the people to build. He was harsh and unrelenting which intimidated his people and gave him confidence. However, many years later, his power was no longer present. His own statue had been broken into pieces like his power, and the many works he had created were long gone. He strove for power all his life because he thought it would make him eternally powerful, but now he barely has influence on a passerby like the speaker in the poem. The only message that his statue and diminished works communicate is that power isn't worth attaining like so many people strive to do because it doesn't last forever.