Potters' Clay

Adam Lindsay Gordon 1833 – 1870



Though the pitcher that goes to the sparkling rill
Too oft gets broken at last,
There are scores of others its place to fill
When its earth to the earth is cast ;
Keep that pitcher at home, let it never roam,
But lie like a useless clod,
Yet sooner or later the hour will come
When its chips are thrown to the sod.
 
Is it wise, then, say, in the waning day,
When the vessel is crack'd and old,
To cherish the battered potter's clay,
As though it were virgin gold ?
Take care of yourself, dull, boorish elf,
Though prudent and safe you seem,
Your pitcher will break on the musty shelf,
And mine by the dazzling stream.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
60

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABXBXX CDCDEFEF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 610
Words 120
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 8

Adam Lindsay Gordon

Adam Lindsay Gordon was an Australian poet, jockey and politician. more…

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    "Potters' Clay" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/174/potters'-clay>.

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