Inklings Publishing

05/13/2026

Ernest Hemingway

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias” is one of the most powerful poems ever written about pride, power, and the passing of time. In only fourteen lines, Shelley gives us the ruins of a mighty king who once believed that his empire would last forever. The poem begins with a traveller describing a broken statue in the desert: two huge legs of stone, a shattered face, and a proud expression still visible on the ruined features. Even before we know the king’s name, we feel the silence of a vanished world.

The most striking part of the poem is the inscription on the pedestal: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” These words were meant to terrify other rulers and prove the greatness of the king. But Shelley places these proud words in the middle of emptiness. There are no palaces, no armies, no monuments, no worshippers. Only broken stone and endless sand remain. The king’s command has become almost tragic, because everything he once boasted of has disappeared.

What makes the poem so beautiful is its irony. Ozymandias wanted to defeat time through power, architecture, and fear. But time has defeated him completely. His statue is broken, his kingdom is gone, and his glory survives only as a warning. The sculptor understood the king’s arrogance and preserved it in stone, but even that stone could not remain whole. Shelley quietly reminds us that human pride may be loud for a while, but the universe is patient, vast, and merciless.

In the end, “Ozymandias” is not only about an ancient king. It is about every person, empire, and ruler who imagines that power can make them immortal. The poem tells us that wealth, authority, and fame are fragile things. What remains after pride is often silence. And perhaps that is why this poem still feels so haunting today: because it shows that even the greatest monuments may fall, but the lesson of their fall can live forever.

04/30/2026

Interested in some great summer reads. Check out these anthology collections we have helped put together on behalf of the Houston Writers Guild.

04/27/2026

Inklings publishing is proud to collaborate with the Houston Writers Guild on this year's short story contest.

We will begin receiving entries May 1st and curate the volume.

You can get the full details here:

https://www.inklingspublishing.com/journeyintotheholidays

The Houston Writers Guild will update its site with the same information and the link for payment soon. As a volunteer run organization, their website update schedule varies from ours. Please feel free to send in your work and then check in with them for payment methodology if you have your story ready.

We are excited to read tales of all kinds that take place on a holiday!

Publication in the book will also mean each author will receive a complimentary copy of the volume as well as complimentary entry to the book launch celebration at which the book will be officially released and where all prizes will be handed out.

03/06/2026