The Paper Nautilus Quizzes

The Paper Nautilus Quiz 1

1 Authorities' hopes are shaped by
mercenaries

poets

devils

nautili
2 Who is entrapped by teatime fame?
Writers

Authorities

Poets

Mercenaries
3 Commuters are described as
dull

friendly

comfortable

authoritative
4 The shell is
heavy

opulent

thin

broken
5 The souvenir of hope is
comfortable

perishable

raw

authoritative
6 The outside is
glossy white

pink

gray

dull white
7 The inner surface is
dull

matte

glossy

ragged
8 When does the nautilus guard her eggs?
Night

Day

Day and night

Never
9 What does she not do until the eggs hatch?
Eat

Move

Sleep

Speak
10 How many arms does she have?
10

2

4

8
11 What fish is she compared to?
A devilfish

A catfish

A piranha

A clownfish
12 What does she do for the eggs?
Crushes them

Hides them

Separates them

Ignores them
13 She refers to her eggs as
babies

spheres

freight

packages
14 What Greek hero does the poet mention?
Ajax

Hercules

Achilles

Paris
15 What does the crab do to Hercules?
Inspires him

Kills him

Devours him

Hinders him
16 When the eggs are freed,
they break the shell

they leave the shell intact

they die

they make their own shells
17 What creature's nest does the poet mention?
Wasp

Bee

Rat

Bird
18 The chiton-folds are compared to
the Parthenon horse

the wasp nest

the glossy sea

Hercules and his labor
19 What is "the only fortress / strong enough to trust to"?
Love

The sea

Family

Mother
20 The mother's love is
intense

nurturing

obsessive

all of these
21 The nautilus makes her shell for
the crab

the commuters

the authorities

the eggs
22 What best describes the nautilus?
Reserved

Indifferent

Dedicated

Morose
23 The shell is depicted as
fragile

ragged

capacious

heavy
24 The following are themes of the poem except
the sea

endurance

religion

maternal love
25 The eggs
resist against their mother's love

are watched intensively

do not break the shell

never hatch

The Paper Nautilus Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Paper Nautilus is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

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.

Read the Study Guide for The Paper Nautilus…