Read the excerpt. full many a gem of purest ray serene the dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear: full many a flower is born to blush unseen, and waste its sweetness on the desert air. in these lines from “elegy written in a country churchyard” by thomas gray, how do the images of the gem and the flower express the idea of unfulfilled potential? gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only in hindsight. gems, flowers, and talents, too, will die, their potential unfulfilled. gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only when they are seen. gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only by the educated and wealthy.