Explain the "irony" in the poem, "Ozymandias." by Percy Blythe Shelly

Irony in Ozymandias Shelly produces a wonderful piece of irony in Ozymandias. When looking at Ozymandias we should look at the Greek breakdown of the name. "Ozy comes from the Greek 'ozium,' which means to breath, or air. Mandias comes from the Greek 'mandate,' which means to rule," notes Biterman in his analysis of the poem. The fact that the derivative of the great Ozymandias's name is Ruler of Air is where the …

…ruler was (or believed himself to be) the most powerful man to have ever lived, and now people look at his lifeless shrine and realize the truth. As long as this poem goes on being read Ozymandias will live on. Works Cited Biterman, Aaron J. " Analysis of Ozymandias." Dec. 2000. 23 Mar. 2003 <http://chelm.freeyellow.com/ozymandias1.html>. Kelly, Joe. " Mighty Works in Shelley's "Ozymandias"." 23 Mar. 2003 < http://www.cofc.edu/~kellyj/explication.html>.