The Walrus and the Carpenter

“The Walrus and the Carpenter” is a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll, contained in his children’s novel Through the Looking-Glass, And What Alice Found There (1871). The poem is recited by the twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee to Alice during her adventures in the looking-glass world. The narrative follows the titular Walrus and Carpenter, who invite some young oysters to accompany them on a walk. Unbeknownst to the naive oysters, the two protagonists have ulterior motives and wind up devouring them.

Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter” became popular as soon as it was published and remains a familiar example of Victorian nonsense verse, a form of poetry that typically combines easily recitable rhythm and rhyme schemes with subject matter that defies logic or “sense,” often for humorous effect. Like other episodes and poems in Carroll’s Alice novels, such as his “Jabberwocky,” “The Walrus and the Carpenter” is marked by its playfulness and absurdity, featuring talking animals in silly situations. Despite the poem’s absurdity, however, it has been the subject of much critical attention, with scholars and the public suggesting many different interpretations for the poem.