Question

George Gray

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 1
Which best summarizes the poem?
Responses
A George Gray believes he embraced life to the fullest.George Gray believes he embraced life to the fullest.
B George Gray has no regrets about how he lived his life.George Gray has no regrets about how he lived his life.
C George Gray lived his life out of fear which he now regrets.George Gray lived his life out of fear which he now regrets.
D George Gray lived his life embracing all of life's challenges.George Gray lived his life embracing all of life's challenges.
Question 2
If you were going to adapt this poem into a short film, which two techniques would be most helpful at conveying the poem's message?
Responses
A using an upbeat song with a catchy beatusing an upbeat song with a catchy beat
B using lots of contrasting dark and light imageryusing lots of contrasting dark and light imagery
C ending with the image of George Gray's tombstoneending with the image of George Gray's tombstone
D showing George Gray's family moving on with their livesshowing George Gray's family moving on with their lives
E a visual image of a boat heading out to high seas in great weathera visual image of a boat heading out to high seas in great weather

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Question 1: C George Gray lived his life out of fear which he now regrets.

Question 2: B using lots of contrasting dark and light imagery, E a visual image of a boat heading out to high seas in great weather