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 is the central theme of the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → People find something of themselves in what the sea gives them.
The last line says that “it’s always ourselves we find in the sea”.
- Each girl finds something that suits her. Maggie finds a singing shell and forgets her troubles.
- Milly makes friends with a starfish. Molly is chased by a crab.
- May finds a stone that feels “as large as alone”.
- Each find shows something about the girl herself. This is the central theme.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: A day at the beach is the best way to make new friends. — Incorrect. Too narrow: only Milly makes a friend, the starfish. The other three girls find other things.
Option 3: The sea is full of dangers for young children. — Incorrect. Wrong focus: only Molly has a scare, from a crab. The poem is about what the girls find, not about danger.
Option 4: Collecting things on a beach is a pleasant hobby. — Incorrect. Wrong focus: the girls do find things. But the last line says these finds show us “ourselves”. The poem is not about a hobby.