"Ozymandias" is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley that uses the ruins of a statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II to illustrate the fleeting nature of power and human ambition. The poem explores the contrast between the pharaoh's self-proclaimed grandeur and the desolate reality of his legacy. Through a traveler's encounter with the broken statue, Shelley highlights the inevitable decay of empires and the futility of boasting about one's achievements. Ultimately, the poem serves as a reminder of the impermanence of human life and the importance of humility in the face of time.