Chambered Nautilus, The

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | 545 words | Copyright

Chambered Nautilus, The, poem by Holmes, included in The Autocrat of the Breakfast‐Table (1858) and in later collections of poems. It consists of five seven‐line stanzas, in the pattern of three iambic pentameters, three trimeters, and a final alexandrine: a5a3b3b5b5c3c6.

A chambered nautilus is a mollusk that begins life in a small shell and builds larger ones as it grows. In the poem this symbolizes human endeavor, and the reader is exhorted to build a broader and more comprehensive life, growing with his age and experience.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Chambered Nautilus, The." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Chambered Nautilus, The." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-ChamberedNautilusThe.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Chambered Nautilus, The." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-ChamberedNautilusThe.html

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