The Walrus and the Carpenter- Essay

The Walrus and the Carpenter

-- Lewis Carroll

“The Walrus and the Carpenter” is a poem which tells a humorous and playful story. It resists rational and logical interpretations. Yet it has a serious theme -- a commentary on political corruption and how the politicians grow fat at the expense of the people. The poem is a warning to innocent people who are misled by the cunning and the shrewd. The rhyme scheme is ABCBDB.

The Walrus and the Carpenter saw the sun shining brightly at midnight and the angry moon sulking. They also realized that the sea was wet and the sand was dry and there was no cloud to be seen. These were odd things that they experienced. These peculiarities and the nonsense dialogues of the characters add beauty to the poem.

The Walrus and the Carpenter are the two greedy characters who get the oysters to trust them and go with them. They invite the oysters to have fun with them. The promise of entertainment does not interest the elder oyster. But the young and the innocent oysters follow the walrus and the carpenter. This is an example of a politician’s call to the people. The politicians make many promises that appeal to the people. Eventually they degenerate into talking about useless issues, such as flying pigs. In the end after the destruction of the innocent people, they will shed false tears of remorse. As the walrus covered his face with his handkerchief to wipe the tears, he gobbled up as much oysters as he could.

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