the paper nautilus American poet Marianne Moore 1941 book poetry gift Elizabeth Bishop
The Paper Nautilus is a poem written by American poet Marianne Moore. This work made its first appearance was in 1941, and then again in Moore’s book of poetry, The Complete Poems of Marianne Moore in 1967. This poem was originally written as a gift to Elizabeth Bishop. The Complete Poems was a representation of her poetry as she had wanted it remembered. On the surface this poem is about a female Argonaut (also known as a paper nautilus because of the fragile, paper thin egg case the females secrete), who has just laid eggs. Originally a gift for Elizabeth Bishop in exchange for an actual Argonaut shell, and according to Jeanne Heuving, a literary critic, this poem is about a maternal protectiveness that moves from an internal protectiveness to a need for the inhabitors of the eggs to break free. Not for These the paper nautilus constructs her thin glass shell. Giving her perishable souvenir of hope, a dull white outside and smooth- edged inner surface glossy as the sea, the watchful maker of it guards it day and night. In contrast to this, such images as Hercules, bitten by a crab loyal to the hydra, was hindered to succeed, the intensively watched eggs coming from the shell free it when they are freed,-- which provide insight into the resilience of the fragile egg, and its inhabitant’s ability to overcome dangers and break through the shell. It is possible that these references signify the different aspects of Moore’s relationship to Bishop. From their early relationship, Moore took on a very maternal role in the younger poet’s life. According to Laura Ebberson, Moore “somewhat eliminated [the maternal] void” left in Bishop after her own mother died, “by providing support and guidance for Bishop.”[7] While in the beginning of their relationship Bishop took every bit of guidance Moore gave her in response to her poetry, later on she began to break away from Moore’s suggestions.
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