Who is the Potter, pray Who is the Pot?

Who is the Potter, pray who is the Pot?

As under cover of departing Day

Slunk hunger -striken Ramazan away,

Once more , within the Potter's house alone

I stood, surrounded by the Shapes of Clay.

Shapes of all Sorts and Sizes, great and small

That stood along the floor, and by the wall;

And some loquacious Vessels were; and some

Listened, perhaps, but never talked at all.

Said one among them-"Surely not in vain,

My substance of the common Earth was ta'en

And to this Figure moulded, to be broke.

Or trampled back to shapeless earth, again.

Then said a Second- "Never a peevish Boy

Would break the Bowl from which he drank in joy:

And he that with his hand the Vessel make

Will surely not in after Wrath, destroy .

After a momentary silence, spoke

Some Vessel of a more ungainly Make:

"They sneer at me for leaning all awry;