Read the poem and answer the following questions.
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
What does the shell discovered by Maggie stand for in the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → a way of escaping her worries
The shell sang “so sweetly” that Maggie “couldn’t remember her troubles”.
- While she listened, her worries went out of her mind.
- So the shell stands for a way to get away from her worries for a while.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: a source of fear — Incorrect. Wrong part of the passage: fear comes in Molly’s part, with the “horrible thing”. Maggie’s shell sings sweetly and calms her.
Option 3: a sign of danger at sea — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the poem links no danger with the shell. Its sweet song only makes Maggie forget her troubles.
Option 4: a gift for her friends — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the poem does not say that Maggie gives the shell to anyone. The shell matters only to her.