"Ozymandias"

Reading about metamorphosis, change and immortality, I, of course, thought of Shelley's sonnet published in 1818. Here's a link to it:

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/ozy.shelley.html

I love the satire. Ozymandias is the Greek name of Ramses II of Egypt (13th Century BCE). Not only do his mighty works no long exist; the statue of him that was supposed to immortalize him and his reign ("Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!") is in ruins. The legs remain but not the body. His face has become buried in sand and only the frown, wrinkled lips and sneer can be seen on the "visage."  The unknown sculptor knew his subject and mocked him and his arrogant "heart that fed" his passions. Other than this, only sand remains. (Shelley is using poetic license in his description of the statue.) 

Ovid hoped that his poetry would make him immortal. Both Ozymandias the man and statue "decay." We do, however, still have Shelley's poem. Will that give the king, sculptor and poet immortality? Perhaps a better question is, why does man seek immortality?