The Man in the Bowler Hat

[thedaffodils]

Hi! I read a poem by A.S.J. Tessimond. Also being a nobody, I like it. Could you please help me out with the questions as below? Many thanks!

Q1: What does castgust mean?

Q2: What does 'composite face' mean?

Q3: What does 'bound' mean?

Q4: Could you please paraphrase these two verses as below? I don't even have a little idea about its meaning or connotation.

The dust fine-ground,
Stone-for-a-statue waveworn pebble-round

Q5: I think almost not a single British man wears bowler hat today. Am I right? Was the hat only popular at Tessimond's period of 1902-1962?

Q6: Was Tessimond well-known by ordinary Brittons and other native speakers?

The Man In The Bowler Hat

Too hurried and worried to see and smell and touch:
The man who is patient too long and obeys too much
And wishes too softly and seldom.
I am the man they call the nation's backbone,
Who am boneless - playable castgut, pliable clay:
The Man they label Little lest one day
I dare to grow.
I am the rails on which the moment passes,
The megaphone for many words and voices:
I am the graph diagram,
Composite face.
I am the led, the easily-fed,
The tool, the not-quite-fool,
The would-be-safe-and-sound,
The uncomplaining, bound,
The dust fine-ground,
Stone-for-a-statue waveworn pebble-round

By A.S.J. Tessimond

[Anglika]

Originally Posted by thedaffodils

Hi! I read a poem by A.S.J. Tessimond. Also being a nobody, I like it. Could you please help me out with the questions as below? Many thanks!

Q1: What does castgust mean? My suspicion is that this a typo for cat[s]gut, but it could refer to a fisherman casting a line. http://www.canada-photos.com/data/me...erman_1404.jpg

Q2: What does 'composite face' mean? As with the drawings created by the police of suspects based on witness description, his face consists of many different elements.

Q3: What does 'bound' mean? Can't answer this one - it is obscure.

Q4: Could you please paraphrase these two verses as below? I don't even have a little idea about its meaning or connotation.

The dust fine-ground,
Stone-for-a-statue waveworn pebble-round

I am not sure a paraphrase will help. It seems to me a concatenation of sounds that work well.

Q5: I think almost not a single British man wears bowler hat today. Am I right? Was the hat only popular at Tessimond's period of 1902-1962? Bowler hats are still worn, and in fact are somewhat in fashion at present with young men in the City. They are also worn by hunt and racing officials: http://www.bicesterhunt.co.uk/hounds/3007A.jpg

Q6: Was Tessimond well-known by ordinary Britons and other native speakers? No.

The Man In The Bowler Hat

Too hurried and worried to see and smell and touch:
The man who is patient too long and obeys too much
And wishes too softly and seldom.
I am the man they call the nation's backbone,
Who am boneless - playable castgut, pliable clay:
The Man they label Little lest one day
I dare to grow.
I am the rails on which the moment passes,
The megaphone for many words and voices:
I am the graph diagram,
Composite face.
I am the led, the easily-fed,
The tool, the not-quite-fool,
The would-be-safe-and-sound,
The uncomplaining, bound,
The dust fine-ground,
Stone-for-a-statue waveworn pebble-round

By A.S.J. Tessimond

..

[thedaffodils]

Hello Anglika, thank you very much for your help.

[SUDHKAMP]

Bound - try duty bound. I shall remain, as ever duty bound, your most faithful servant.

dust - try with speck of dust, lying in the corner(ground). The given lines are describing the common man, who is treated more as a speck of dust, a pebble on the ground etc.