Marie Bateson

Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)



You observe the carven hand
With the index finger pointing heavenward.
That is the direction, no doubt.
But how shall one follow it?
It is well to abstain from murder and lust,
To forgive, do good to others, worship God
Without graven images.
But these are external means after all
By which you chiefly do good to yourself.
The inner kernel is freedom,
It is light, purity --
I can no more,
Find the goal or lose it, according to your vision.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

25 sec read
419

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABCDEFGHIJKL
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 438
Words 84
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 13

Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. more…

All Edgar Lee Masters poems | Edgar Lee Masters Books

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