The Earthen Goblet

Harindranath Chattopadhyaya
(1898– 1990)

Harindranath Chattopadhyaya was an Indian poet hailing from rich cultural traditions as well
as modern outlook. He was not only a poet but also a dramatist, actor, musician, philosopher, freedom fighter and a
politician. He had a strong love for freedom and a strong antipathy toward tyranny. His poetry usually deals with
nature and natural way of life. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1973. His poems were even appreciated by the
Nobel prize winner, the poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

This poem is presented in the form of a dialogue between the poet and an earthen goblet with an interesting
question – answer session from which a bitter reality is unfolded. The poem is structured into a four-stanza one
without any uniformity in the stanzas composed quite irregularly but it has a lyrical quality as the lines move
rhythmically. The poet seems to want to know how the goblet felt when it was taken from the earth and made
into its present form.

The themes of the poem

Coming under the main theme ‘life’ the poem seems to convey several specific themes as well.

 The traditional life versus modern life

There can always be a friction between tradition and modernity in the society as people’s values are
different depending on their outlook and social background. The ball of clay may symbolically imply
the traditional existence of life whereas the goblet may symbolize the modern way of life with
sophistication. Once people’s traditions are forgotten they become very artificial forgetting the good
values. They might appear to be more impressive just like the decorative and ornamental goblet.

 The importance of a humble, down-to-earth lifestyle close to nature

People who have been influenced by modernization and industrialization seem to drift away from nature
and their lives are not down-to-earth. Villagers may go to urbanized areas with the expectation of
becoming sophisticated, educated and well-mannered with modern social etiquette and so on and in the
end they may modernize and westernize. In many cases these people may lose their humbleness and live
their life without being in tune with nature and unable to face life with practicality and sensibility. We
are even reminded of Charles Dickens’ novel “Great Expectations” where Pip, the main character, goes
to London to become a gentleman who ultimately turns into a sophisticated man forgetting gratitude,
humbleness and his warm relationships with the people he lived with in the countryside. When people
leading a rural lifestyle are made to adapt to a modern lifestyle, they become robot-like as they lose
good values and flexibility.

 The importance of naturalism and freedom

When people gradually drift away from naturalism and freedom they may become victimized by their
own stressful life. Consequently, they get deprived of warm relationships as they always attempt to
satisfy their artificial and showy sophisticated lifestyles only. Children who are moulded by their
parents, teachers or society may lose their flexibility and become so rigid if the moulding is done in the
wrong way. Education encourages them to be certain role models according to the modern trends of the
world but eventually they might end up becoming an artificial person. The lump of clay had ‘a fragrant
friendship of a little flower’ but when it was forcefully taken away from its natural environment and
 made ‘a captive on the potter’s wheel’ it lost its natural qualities and freedom. Chattopadhyaya’s
portrayal of the transformation of the ball of clay into a beautiful but artificial goblet clearly denotes
how vital it is to maintain naturalism and exist with freedom.

 The impact of colonialism in indigenous culture and traditions

India was a British colony and freedom fighters like Gandhi struggled hard to gain their independence.
Since Chattopadhyaya was also a freedom fighter, this poem may have connotations of how the
indigenous culture and traditionalism of India were transformed into rigid sophistication due to the
moulding and reshaping of Indians under the impact of British colonialism.

The techniques and literary terms available in the poem

 Metaphor
eg:- The ball of clay is directly compared to a captive on the potter’s wheel which is a metaphor.

 Symbolism
eg:- The ball of clay
This symbolizes the natural way of life
eg:- The earthen goblet
This symbolizes the modern way of life admiring false values
eg:- The potter’s wheel
This symbolizes the society that moulds the character of a young person with modernization,
industrialization and commercialization.
The fragrant friendship of a little flower
This symbolizes warm relationships available in rural surroundings.

 Rhyming words : first stanza : heel, feel, wheel

twirled, world
second stanza: clay, away
warm, form
vast, cast
third stanza : hour, flower
wheel, feel
sleep, deep
fourth stanza: me, me
best, breast

 Consonance eg:- And cast into this crimson goblet sleep,

 Assonance eg:- When you were being twirled

From the great potters hand that burned so warm.

 Alliteration eg:- O silent goblet red from head to heel

How did you feel
The fragrant friendship of a little flower
With just one flower flaming through my breast.

 Simple diction eg:- The words chosen by the poet to convey his themes are very simple; the simple
diction is appropriately employed by the poet to convey his themes powerfully.

 Personification eg:- The goblet is personified as a living person talking to the poet and regretting about
its present form as his living qualities are drawn out of it forcefully by the harsh potter.

Prepared by Prasad Rathnasekara

[BA (Eng), MA (Linguistics), Music Visharad (Vocal) Contact on 0773433440