what message does the poem "Ozymandias" convey about earthly power?

Question

what message does the poem "Ozymandias" convey about earthly power?

A. power will bring fame
B. with power comes despair
C. power is fleeting and will decay
D. power brings glory

I'm stuck between B and C?

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".

Answer 1

Well, he must have been pretty powerful.

All he is now is stone legs and a head in the sand.
Looks like decay to me.

Answer 2

Okay thanks!

Answer 3

The message of the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley conveys that earthly power is fleeting and will decay. The poem describes a broken statue in the desert, with only the legs and a shattered visage remaining. The inscription on the pedestal boasts of the ruler's power and commands others to look upon his works and despair. However, the irony lies in the fact that there is nothing left of his magnificent kingdom except for ruins in the desolate desert. This contrast between the power the ruler once had and its eventual demise emphasizes the transitory nature of earthly power. Therefore, the correct answer would be C.