Question

george gray
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 ones life may end in madness,
which sentence is the best summary of the poem?

1. a person finds love and happiness through ambition.
2. a person reflects on a life lived without enthusiasm or goal.
3. a person’s reflections on life change his attitude toward the past.
4. a person’s journey through life is filled with insurmountable obstacles.

Explanation:

• Analyze Option A: The poem says "No love was offered me" and the speaker shrank from ambition's disillusionment, so they didn't find love or happiness through ambition. Eliminate A.
• Analyze Option B: The poem's speaker reflects on their life—they were afraid of love, avoided chances from ambition, and hungered for meaning. This shows a life lived without enthusiasm or goal (until realizing to set sail). This matches.
• Analyze Option C: The poem is about reflecting on their own life's lack of action, not changing attitude toward the past. Eliminate C.
• Analyze Option D: The poem doesn't focus on insurmountable obstacles, but on the speaker's inaction in life. Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. A person reflects on a life lived without enthusiasm or goal.