The poet addresses the question of whom this visage could belong to with two simple words, “cold command”. The speaker describes the bust lying in the desert having a “sneer of cold command.” This is a very deliberate use of alliteration by the poet in order to emphasize the fact that the visage was that of an irreverent man.
Line 4 tells the reader that along with the “trunkless legs of stone” there lies a “a shattered visage.” The character of the individual whom the visage represents is affirmed through alliteration. The next line points out to the reader that the setting for the poem is “in the desert.” Having a sense of where and what it is the poet wishes the reader to see the speaker then goes on to describe the character of the individual this statue represents. One wouldn’t expect to see a structure consisting of legs alone, therefore it can be inferred by the reader that the structure being described is in fact a ruin. First, the speaker describes the ruin as “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone (Shelley 2).” Which gives the reader a sense of how big the ruin is, and explains that it is a ruin. Therefore, the poet must use strong imagery to give the reader the sense that they are actually there. The entire poem is a recollection of a description given to the speaker of a ruin in the desert.
Imagery is an important element of “Ozymandias”. Finally, Shelley introduces a wonderfully ironic line that is reinforced by the other elements in the poem. Shelley then uses alliteration to describe the character of the person the ruin represents. Percy Bysshe Shelley use the elements of imagery and alliteration to first give the reader the sense of a “vast” ruin in the desert. The poem “Ozymandias” is a wonderful example of irony.
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