The poem ‘ The earthen goblet’ by Harindranath Chattopadhyaya 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. Although the
poem is a conversation between the poet and the goblet, the poet indirectly implies the idea that it is a
conversation between him and his conscience. He narrates his own story with a guilty conscious mind,
while regarding the fact that he has abondoned his natural life style.

In this poem the poet speaks to an earthen goblet and asks it what it felt about its creation on the
potter’s wheel. The goblet answering the question says that it felt it was cruel to be turned from its
original ball of clay into a new shape. It also says about the closeness it had with nature and the
friendship it enjoyed with a natural flower, which is a part of nature. It repents about the unnatural
shape it has been given by the potter. In this poem, the poet indirectly focuses on the way people deal
with nature changing it the way they want without giving a thought about retaining its original form and
beauty.

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.

Poem summary

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The poem The Earthen Goblet ‘ was written by a famous Indian Poet Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It is
a dialogue between the poet and the goblet. The poem has four stanzas.

The poet asked the silent goblet why its was red from top to toe and what its feelings were
when the potter kept it on his wheel and twirled it before giving it to the world as a goblet.

The goblet replied that it felt a conscious impulse in its clay to break away from the Great
Potter’s warm hand. It also felt sorrow to be moulded into its present form.
 Before that dangerous hour.,the goblet was the prisoner on the potter’s wheel and moulded
into the crimson coloured goblet. Before that, it used to feel the fragrant friendship of a little flower. The
root of the flower was buried deep in its bosom. The association between clay and creeper was strong.

The potter has taken the living breath of it. He gave it a form which was its death. Previoulsly it
was natural and shapeless. But the form of the clay was the best form for it as a bright flower used to be
its companion near its breast.

The essence of this is that the shape of goblet made it a prisoner. It did not have freedom or a
friend. When it was in the form of clay. It had a friend- a little flower. Its friendship was sweet which was
no more available to the goblet is used by rich people to the drink of their choice. The company of rich
people did not give the goblet happiness.’

Techniques

The poem presented in the form of a conversation between the narrator and the goblet. Clay and goblet
are used metorpharically to describe the ways of changing people’s ways and attitudes. The language in
this poem is clear and simple. The tone is conversational. Symbolism can be also seen in this poem. Use
of personification shows the importance of naturalism and freedom.