The Paper Nautilus Quizzes

The Paper Nautilus Quiz 1

By Kristen Osborne-Bartucca · Last reviewed February 11, 2017

1 Authorities' hopes are shaped by

poets

devils

mercenaries

nautili
2 Who is entrapped by teatime fame?

Writers

Authorities

Mercenaries

Poets
3 Commuters are described as

friendly

dull

authoritative

comfortable
4 The shell is

thin

heavy

broken

opulent
5 The souvenir of hope is

comfortable

perishable

raw

authoritative
6 The outside is

gray

pink

dull white

glossy white
7 The inner surface is

glossy

matte

dull

ragged
8 When does the nautilus guard her eggs?

Never

Night

Day

Day and night
9 What does she not do until the eggs hatch?

Eat

Speak

Sleep

Move
10 How many arms does she have?

4

10

8

2
11 What fish is she compared to?

A catfish

A clownfish

A piranha

A devilfish
12 What does she do for the eggs?

Ignores them

Hides them

Separates them

Crushes them
13 She refers to her eggs as

babies

freight

spheres

packages
14 What Greek hero does the poet mention?

Ajax

Paris

Achilles

Hercules
15 What does the crab do to Hercules?

Devours him

Kills him

Hinders him

Inspires him
16 When the eggs are freed,

they die

they make their own shells

they leave the shell intact

they break the shell
17 What creature's nest does the poet mention?

Bird

Bee

Rat

Wasp
18 The chiton-folds are compared to

the wasp nest

the Parthenon horse

Hercules and his labor

the glossy sea
19 What is "the only fortress / strong enough to trust to"?

The sea

Mother

Family

Love
20 The mother's love is

obsessive

intense

nurturing

all of these
21 The nautilus makes her shell for

the eggs

the crab

the commuters

the authorities
22 What best describes the nautilus?

Reserved

Morose

Indifferent

Dedicated
23 The shell is depicted as

ragged

capacious

heavy

fragile
24 The following are themes of the poem except

the sea

religion

endurance

maternal love
25 The eggs

do not break the shell

are watched intensively

never hatch

resist against their mother's love

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Study Guide for The Paper Nautilus

The Paper Nautilus study guide contains a biography of Marianne Moore, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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