However, in the first stanza the writer, Oliver Wendell Holmes, points out that the chambered nautilus shell comes from the same place as do sirens and sea-maids. This suggests that what he is going to tell us about is not indeed real and is a legend (TCN analysis).
In the second stanza, Holmes is now referring to the shell as being a wrecked ship of pearl (Holmes). I believe that he is implying that the shell is cracked. He speaks of the sunless crypt of the shell being unsealed, which to me means that the shell has cracked and its inner chambers are now exposed.
The third stanza tells of the "silent toil" of the chambered nautilus, as it continually builds new chambers as it grows (Holmes). It is here, half way through the third stanza that we start seeing information that is applicable to life. Holmes spends the rest of the poem speaking to our lives. The entire third stanza tells of the chambered nautilus, who after building his next chamber to grow into, cannot go back to his previous chambers, just as we cannot turn back after acting and cannot relive past events in our lives. The choices we make change our future, and once a decision is made, we cannot easily go back.
The fourth stanza brings with it an allusion of Triton, in which Roman and Greek mythology believed was the protector of the sea. (TCN analysis) Sailors of the olden times who lived in the era of Roman and Greek mythology would pray upon Triton during fierce storms in hopes of being delivered from it. They're last hope they would cling to would be the sound of Triton's horn, which would mean deliverance and protection from the fierce sea storm. Holmes refers to Triton's horn as being a wreathed horn, which suggests that his horn was indeed a chambered nautilus. Which brings the focus of the poem to the chambered nautilus, and that it is the saving grace of our lives. That leads to the big question of the poem, which is "What is our goal in life?" (TCN analysis).
The fifth stanza is something beautiful. "Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul" refers to life. It means to build bigger and better things for your future. Do not be stuck in the present, strive for the future, start your better future now, by working hard and building it. I believe that "As the swift seasons roll!" refers to life as well, and how quickly it does go by! So do not wait, life goes by too quickly to waste it away, so "leave thy low-vaulted past", or the small and insignificant past that you had for yourself. Instead, "let each new temple, nobler than the last". Make every season of your life better than the season that came before it, just as the chambered nautilus makes every new chamber bigger and better than the previous. "Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!" (Holmes). Live here the best life you can, until one day your soul is free and resting with the Creator in Heaven, rather than here in this cut-throat world. Make the best of your life now, and better yourself each day, otherwise, what is the point of this wearisome life?
Holmes, Oliver W. "801. The Chambered Nautilus. Oliver Wendell Holmes. 1909-14. English Poetry III: From Tennyson to Whitman. The Harvard Classics." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. .
"The Chambered Nautilus Analysis Oliver Wendell Holmes : Summary Explanation Meaning Overview Essay Writing Critique Peer Review Literary Criticism Synopsis Online Education." Writing Workshop, or Something. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. .
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