what could one read from the face of the statue?

The statue is broken apart yet one can still make out a face. The face looks like a great ruler at one time. Apparently this guy was once a big deal, "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!', but really the statue is decayed and full of sand.

In lines four and five of the poem, the poet describes the features of the statue's face as being angry. The mouth is described as having a "sneer," a "frown," and a "wrinkled lip." It is said that the sculptor caputured or "read" these passions well.