Poem: George Gray By Edgar Lee Masters

This is a poem from Edgar Lee Masters' book, Spoon River Anthology. Hear a poem about the fictional George Gray and how he was stuck in the harbor, longing for more meaning in his life. Let the words of this poem help you to set sail in a new direction.

Transcript

Hello,

This is Rachel Poucher and today I am reading you a poem titled George Gray and it is written by Edgar Lee Masters and this is a part of his book Spoon River Anthology.

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.

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 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.

It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

When I first read this poem by Edgar Lee Masters in high school,

It just really captured a moment and really pointed to me to find a way to live life and to create meaning and to not get hung up on being stuck in the harbor.

So where are you a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid?

Where are you hungering for meaning in your life?

Where do you need to move in a direction that you've been afraid to go?

Talk about it with a friend or write about it in your journal or maybe there's some other thing you need to do like take a small step in the direction of your desires.

Whatever it is,

The universe is here to support you and bring wind to your sails and help your boat go beyond the harbor.

Best wishes.