The speaker imagines a rainbow shell resting far down in the profoundest ocean. It never disappears, and it shines quietly no matter what is happening on the surface—whether violent storms are raging or small, cheerful waves are rippling. Those gentle waves are likened to laughter, suggesting the shell lies beneath both trouble and joy. When the speaker asks us to listen, the shell is not just a visual treasure; it gives off a kind of silent song. The poem creates a hush: it feels secret, still, and a little mysterious. There is comfort in the idea that something beautiful and steady exists below all the noise and change of life. The speaker’s feeling is one of quiet wonder—almost as if she has found a hidden point of calm that keeps shining and singing without needing to be seen.
The Secret — Summary
In the profoundest ocean There is a rainbow shell, It is always there, shining most stilly Under the greatest storm waves And under the happy little waves That the old Greek called ‘ripples of laughter.’ And you listen, the rainbow shell Sings--in the profoundest ocean. It is always there, singing most silently!