The Crocodile — Lewis Carroll
Syllabus: SCERT New Syllabus | Source: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
About the Poet
Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, an English writer, mathematician, and photographer. He is best known for his children's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly called Alice in Wonderland) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass. This poem, "The Crocodile," appears in Alice in Wonderland and is a humorous parody of Isaac Watts' moralistic poem "Against Idleness and Mischief." Carroll's works are celebrated for their wit, wordplay, and imaginative storytelling.
The Poem
How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the water of the Nile
On every golden scale!
How cheerful he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!
Summary and Analysis
The poem "The Crocodile" is a short, witty, and deceptively simple poem consisting of two stanzas of four lines each. In the first stanza, the poet describes a crocodile that lives in the River Nile. The crocodile is shown improving (grooming or beautifying) its shining tail by pouring water over every golden scale. The imagery paints the crocodile as a vain creature that takes pride in its appearance, making itself look attractive and gleaming in the water.
In the second stanza, the tone shifts to reveal the crocodile's true, cunning nature. The crocodile appears cheerful and grins widely. It neatly spreads its claws and "welcomes little fishes in" with "gently smiling jaws." On the surface, the crocodile seems friendly and inviting, but the underlying meaning is sinister — the crocodile is actually luring small fish into its open mouth to eat them. The smile is not one of friendliness but of a predator about to catch its prey.
The poem is a brilliant example of irony and dark humour. Carroll uses gentle, positive words like "cheerful," "neatly," "gently," and "welcomes" to describe what is actually a dangerous predator hunting its food. This contrast between the pleasant description and the grim reality makes the poem both amusing and thought-provoking. It also serves as a subtle warning that appearances can be deceiving — something that looks friendly may actually be dangerous.
Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| doth | An old English expression for "does" |
| improve | To make better than before; here it means to groom or beautify |
| shining | Bright, gleaming, reflecting light |
| Nile | The longest river in Africa, flowing through Egypt |
| scale | Small, flat plates that cover the body of a crocodile or fish |
| cheerful | Happy, joyful |
| grin | To smile broadly, showing teeth |
| neatly | In a tidy, orderly manner |
| claws | Sharp, curved nails on the feet of an animal |
| gently | Softly, mildly, in a kind manner |
| jaws | The upper and lower parts of the mouth, especially of an animal |
Literary Devices
- Irony: The crocodile is described with pleasant words like "cheerful," "gently," and "welcomes," but it is actually a dangerous predator catching fish to eat. The contrast between the gentle description and the violent reality is ironic.
- Personification: The crocodile is given human qualities — it "grins," "welcomes" guests, and "smiles." These human-like behaviours make the crocodile seem friendly when it is not.
- Imagery: Vivid visual images such as "shining tail," "golden scale," and "smiling jaws" help the reader picture the crocodile clearly.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme — "crocodile/Nile," "tail/scale," "grin/in," "claws/jaws" — giving it a musical, nursery-rhyme quality.
- Parody: The poem is a parody of Isaac Watts' moral poem "Against Idleness and Mischief," which begins "How doth the little busy bee." Carroll replaces the industrious bee with a cunning crocodile for humorous effect.
- Alliteration: "Gently... grin" and "smiling... spreads" create a soft, pleasant sound that contrasts with the predatory theme.
Themes
- Deception and Appearances: The central theme is that appearances can be deceiving. The crocodile looks cheerful, friendly, and welcoming, but its true intention is to catch and eat fish. This teaches us not to trust everything based on outward appearances alone.
- Nature and Predation: The poem presents the natural behaviour of a crocodile — hunting prey — in a humorous, lighthearted way. It highlights the predator-prey relationship in nature.
- Humour and Satire: Carroll uses wit and dark humour to entertain. The poem parodies moralistic Victorian poetry, replacing earnest moral lessons with a humorous description of a cunning predator.