How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss: (17-20)
Gambling and losing all of one's "winnings" on a game of "pitch-and-toss" is a metaphor that refers to losing just about anything. Loss = defeat, plain and simple. The rhyme on "beginning" and "winning" is interesting, however. It suggests that the beginning—starting over—might actually just be another way to win.