Quatrain LXI is the third of eight quatrains which are grounded on the theme of the Potter and the Pot. This one begins to present an interesting view of the Creator, perhaps one that seems somewhat different from Jehovah of the Old Testament and Allah of the Qur'an.
First Edition: Quatrain LXI
Then said another--"Surely not in vain
My Substance from the common Earth was ta'en,
That He who subtly wrought me into Shape
Should stamp me back to common Earth again."
Second Edition: Quatrain XCI
Said one among them--"Surely not in vain,
My Substance from the common Earth was ta'en,
That He who subtly wrought me into Shape
Should stamp me back to shapeless Earth again?"
Fifth Edition: Quatrain LXXXIV
Said one among them--"Surely not in vain
My substance of the common Earth was ta'en
And to this figure molded, to be broke,
Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again."
This is an optimistic view of the Potter/Creator's behavior regarding Its creations. This quatrain argues that, having created them, the Creator wouldn't destroy its creations, even if something had gone wrong. It suggests that mercy and love will overcome justice in the end.
This reminded me of a time long ago when one of my friends was a potter. I went over to his house for dinner one evening and found several of his pots put aside. He was going to destroy them because they were failures: they didn't come out the way he had planned. I saved one because, even though the glazing process had failed, it still had a wonderful color and texture--and I still have it. Perhaps the pots are being overly optimistic about the Potter's acceptance of pots that have somehow gone wrong.
FitzGerald, as usual, made changes from the first to the second editions, and, what is somewhat unusual, the fifth Edition differs from the second, as well as from the first.
The first edition begins with "Then said another", while the second and fifth editions begin with "Said one among them." The first edition suggests that someone else had spoken, and then this one made a comment, while the second and fifth editions don't give that impression. Instead, I get the impression that this is one pot that spoke up from a group that was mentioned earlier.
And, that is exactly what happened, because the preceding quatrain for the first edition is different than the preceding quatrains for the second and fifth editions. In the first edition, the quatrain coming immediately before this one referred to the pot who had asked, "Who is the Potter. .. .?" while the quatrains that came before the quatrains from the second and fifth editions described the room in which many pots were situated and there was some talk among them. Therefore, in the second and fifth editions, these are the first pots to speak, therefore "one among them" is more logical. The rest of the first line is the same for all three versions.
In the second line, only one change is introduced and that in the fifth edition. In the first and second editions, we read "My Substance from the common Earth" whereas that becomes "My substance of the common Earth." "From," to me anyway, suggests that the substance is now removed or different than the common earth it came from, whereas "of" still maintains the identity or relationship of the pot's substance with common earth. The fifth edition wording maintains the pots' connection to its source, the earth.
An equally interesting difference relates to the change in the third line which moves from the active voice in the first and second versions, to the passive voice in the fifth, thus subtly relieving the Creator/Potter from being named as one who would destroy Its creations. In the first and second editions, it directly states that the Creator wouldn't annihilate it, while the fifth edition, it merely states "And to this figure molded, to be broke,/Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again." It still speaks of annihilation, but no annihilator is no longer specified, but just implied.
The fourth line of the quatrain also shows some differences in wording:.
First Edition: "Should stamp me back to common Earth again."
Second Edition: "Should stamp me back to shapeless Earth again?"
Fifth Edition: "Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again."
"Common Earth" in the first edition is changed to "shapeless Earth" in the later editions. "Shapeless Earth" is a more evocative expression for it brings out the idea of destruction far more strongly than does "common earth." "Common" is a vague term, suggesting ordinary or the mundane while "Shapeless" following the previous references to shaping or molding conveys destruction or annihilation.
The pots/creations seem to be developing a theory that depicts the Potter/Creator as being a kindly benevolent being who wouldn't destroy its creations, because It had taken so much effort in shaping them, perhaps in Its own image. I think most, if not all, Christian and Moslem theologians would disagree at this point.
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