George Gray

Question

Edgar Lee Masters

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me--
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life. 5

For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail 10

And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire-- 15
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
Question

What inference can you make from the last four lines of the poem?
Responses

A The speaker is no longer concerned about his future.The speaker is no longer concerned about his future.

B The speaker was a fisherman for years and regrets this occupation choice.The speaker was a fisherman for years and regrets this occupation choice.

C The speaker has struggled with madness and restlessness and wants to end his life.The speaker has struggled with madness and restlessness and wants to end his life.

D The speaker prefers to risk madness rather than endure the torture of a meaningless life.The speaker prefers to risk madness rather than endure the torture of a meaningless life.

Answer 1

The best inference you can make from the last four lines of the poem is:

D The speaker prefers to risk madness rather than endure the torture of a meaningless life.

This is supported by the lines indicating that while putting meaning in one's life may lead to madness, living without meaning results in restlessness and vague desires, which the speaker likens to a boat longing for the sea but being afraid. This suggests a preference for taking risks in pursuit of meaning rather than remaining stagnant and unfulfilled.