The Earthen Goblet by Harindranath Chattopadyaya
The poem, "The Earthen Goblet" is a dialogue between a poet
and an earthen goblet where the goblet expresses regret for losing its natural
qualities. It explores themes of tradition vs modernity, the importance of
a humble lifestyle close to nature, and the impacts of losing naturalism and
freedom. This poem is written to highlight the value of living a natural and
unsophisticated life while enjoying the simplicity of life. The poem is written
in conversational form, the poet asks a question from the goblet and the goblet
answers him.
Chattopadhyay’s poetry usually deals with nature and natural
way of life. The poem is written as a dialogue between the poet and the goblet.
He wants to know how the goblet felt when it was taken from the earth and
shaped into a goblet. The answer of the goblet which forms the next three
stanzas of the poem is tinged with a sense of sadness and helplessness.
The poet questions the goblet about the feelings it
had when it was being shaped into the present form on the potter’s wheel. The
imperfect rhyming scheme may suggest that poet knows that he is asking an
absurd question. Whether the feeling is happy or sad, it does not matter; the
goblet cannot change its shape ever!
Goblet’s answer clearly states that it came to the
present form without its consent. Although it got the alert, it could not
resist as the force was so powerful. The words: ‘great’, ‘burned so warm’
suggest that. When it was being changed, it felt ‘a vast feeling of sorrow’.
That may be the understanding about its passiveness about the inevitable change
of its form. The disturbed rhyming scheme suggests its mental status about its
predicament.
The goblet recalls the hour that it was captivated
and slaughtered as well as the nostalgic feeling of its lost friendship which
was so close to its heart. The words: ‘fatal hour’, ‘captive’, ‘cast into …
sleep’ illustrate a picture of a hunter getting ready to kill an animal
captivated by him. The phrases: ‘the fragrant friendship’, ‘root was in my
bosom buried deep’ show the affectionate attachment it had with its previous
life and its surroundings. The rhyme scheme suggests its disturbed emotions
about its lost relationships.
The rhyming couplet gives the answer of the goblet
to the poet’s question about its feelings. Although it had been given a form,
it prefers the unshapely form it had in the previous life. It further complains
that the potter had killed it to get the present form so it has no life in it
now. It repents of its past, though it did not have much and craves for that
simple natural life.
This poem also gives the implication as to how a
person from a rural area, much attached to rural life is made to undergo change
in modern society, with no choice. This person was brought to the city and was
made to adapt to modern life, despite his disinterest. At the end, he turned
out be a gentleman in the city, but his attachment was for the humble,
down-to-earth life style close to nature, with his girl in the village.
This poem draws parallels to the most people in the
city who transferred from villages looking for a better life. They repent over
their past, but they cannot go back to their previous life as they are
helplessly bound to their city life.
Source: https://www.litspring.com/2020/03/analysis-of-earthen-goblet-by.html
Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, born on April 2, 1898, in Hyderabad, India, was an Indian poet, musician, actor, and politician. The author of many collections, including Ancient Wings (Theosophical Publishing House, 1923), Blood of Stones (Padma Publications, 1944), and Virgins and Vineyards (Pearl Publications, 1967), he was the younger brother of poet Sarojini Naidu. In 1973, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government. He died on June 23, 1990.
Source: https://poets.org/poet/harindranath-chattopadhyaya
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