After meeting King Nebuchadnezzar Daniel is asked to interpret his vision.

You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great statue, whose splendour was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. (Daniel 2 31)

For evermore this vision of the weakened structure summed up the transience of earthly kingdoms because like statues earthly kingdoms can come crashing down. This image is not dissimilar to the “two vast and trunkless legs of stone” found in the desert proclaiming “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair”. This great poem by Shelley like the Book of Daniel reminds us that man alone can only fall and become decrepit. Only God is infinite and omnipotent.