I'm thinking a girdle furled is it being folded about and wraps around you and he's describing the ocean in this manner suggests something to do with the oceans wrapping around continents,ect. of the world, how we're protected in a sense. In full context of the poem though it seems the author is talking about god and faith as in "sea of faith" and how faith was once prominent surrounding all things and the bright girdle was to show how prominent it once was. good luck with english!
George Bergeron accepts his handicapping devices as part of his existence. He endures the "little mental handicap radio" in his ear, and the transmissions it sends to "keep people...from taking unfair advantage of their brains" as the price he must pay to live in a society in which "everybody was finally equal...every which way."
George actively resists Hazel's suggestion that he lighten the weight of the handicapping bag locked around his neck. Hazel contends that George could remove a few of the birdshot balls without any penalty, since he would not be in danger of being discovered if he reduced the burden slightly while he was at home. George has no interest in attempting such an adjustment to his officially-assigned handicap; in fact, he convincingly argues the importance of all persons following the laws and penalities in order to preserve the system for all citizens asking, "'The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?'...'Reckon it'd fall all apart,' said Hazel."
