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- Arrogance of rulers - Shelly realises the arrogance of rulers, who misuse their power to abuse and neglect their subjects. This is mocked by the sculptor of the statue in 'the hand that mocked'
- Power of Art - as 'nothing beside remains' of the power of Ozymandias, we can infer that Shelley is trying to convey his belief that human power is temporary, and art and literature are more enduring
- Abuse of Power - linking to the arrogance of rulers, Shelley was known to dislike the monarchy, and believed they abused their powers. Ozymandias is an example of this abuse, which he used to warn the monarchies of his time - sending a message that is still relevant today.
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- Ozymandias is proud, boastful, and arrogant, this is illustrated vie the repetition of 'king' in the inscription, which is almost as if he is trying to prove he truly is a king and omnipotent - perhaps even to deify himself. Furthermore, he commands the reader to 'look!', and this imperative shows he believes he has the power to control others' actions
- Ephemeral power (temporary) is shown throughout, the metaphor of the broken statue reflects political power, while the caesura in line 12 after 'remains' reminds the reader that his power has come to and end, and all that is left is a statue.
- The juxtaposition of 'colossal' and 'wreck' emphasise the decline of his power to its current state - a 'wreck'
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- Ozymandias is written in sonnet form, usually used to convey the poet's love for another. However, here it is used to mock Ozymandias' ego and self love, and perhaps reflect Shelley's delight in seeing the egoistical king's statue in ruins.
- Despite being in sonnet form, this poem does not follow a typical rhyme scheme of most sonnets. This fragmented rhythm and rhyme could reflect the crumbling of human power, and how human constructs will only be broken and destroyed -a notion that lines up perfectly with Shelley's political beliefs. Furthermore, this rebellious mixing of sonnet forms reflects Shelley's seditious commentary on politics.
- As the poem begins with 'I met a traveller', we can infer that the speaker has not seen the statue itself, perhaps illustrating how insignificant Ozymandias has become - as he is now just a curious story to be told to others.
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- 'Shattered visage' - the ruined statue is a metaphor for political powers, the shattered represents the corruption and break in control, while the visage could show how the people don't know who is ruling them, and how people change in the face of power.
- 'Sneer of cold command' - Ozymandias mocked his subjects, yet still maintained the power to 'command' them. The consonance 'c' sounds reflect the speaker's distaste for the king.
- 'Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare' - juxtaposition of colossal and wreck shows decline in power, and the plosives of boundless and bare highlight how there is nothing left, nature has taken over, and the statue is now isolated in the desert.
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