{"id":240599,"date":"2025-01-18T17:30:41","date_gmt":"2025-01-18T12:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=240599"},"modified":"2025-01-28T01:48:05","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T20:18:05","slug":"the-walrus-the-carpenter-its-symbolic-relevance-to-current-happenings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-walrus-the-carpenter-its-symbolic-relevance-to-current-happenings\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Walrus & The Carpenter\u201d & Its Symbolic Relevance To Current Happenings"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Rusiripala Tennakoon<\/a>\u00a0\u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Rusiripala Tennakoon<\/p><\/div>\n

The English poet Lewis Carroll<\/b> wrote this poem, published in his book \u201cThrough the Looking Glass\u201d<\/b> in 1871, which has since become a highly appreciated piece of literary nonsense. Its verses epitomize themes of hypocrisy, cruelty, humor, and sarcasm, blended with a degree of sentimentality. Although often regarded as light reading for pleasure, Carroll\u2019s skilled presentation offers a broader theme that allows readers to analyze it with political and social motives in mind. Beneath its apparent absurdity lies a deeper message for literary critics to unravel.<\/p>\n

Readers of the poem will recall how the two main characters, the Walrus and the Carpenter<\/i><\/b>, act selfishly and cunningly, persuading the na\u00efve young oysters to join them for a walk, only to eat them all in the end. The story is rich in imagery, encouraging readers to project their interpretations\u2014whether religious, social, or political\u2014onto the text. When coerced by the Walrus and the Carpenter, the young oysters, unable to resist the allure of the invitation, eagerly follow them, ignoring the warnings of the elder oyster who suspects the true motives behind the so-called pleasure walk.<\/p>\n

The poem vividly illustrates how deceivers, hiding their true intentions, entice their victims with charm and empty promises. During the long walk, the Walrus and the Carpenter discuss nonsensical yet intriguing topics, capturing the young oysters’ attention and distracting them from their impending doom.<\/p>\n

Their conversation is contradictory, bizarre, and deliberately chosen to sound appealing to their followers. For instance, they declare:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time has come,\u201d the Walrus said,<\/i><\/p>\n

To talk of many things:<\/i><\/p>\n

Of shoes\u2014and ships\u2014and sealing-wax\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n

Of cabbages\u2014and kings\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n

And why the sea is boiling hot\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n

And whether pigs have wings.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

The young oysters, intrigued, forget the fatigue of the journey until they eventually stop after walking for a mile along the beach.<\/p>\n

The subjects discussed are equally absurd, such as:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe moon was shining sulkily,<\/i><\/p>\n

Because she thought the sun<\/i><\/p>\n

Had got no business to be there<\/i><\/p>\n

After the day was done.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very rude of him,\u201d she said,<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cTo come and spoil the fun.\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

Other whimsical observations include:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sea was wet as wet could be,<\/i><\/p>\n

The sands were dry as dry.<\/i><\/p>\n

You could not see a cloud, because<\/i><\/p>\n

No cloud was in the sky;<\/i><\/p>\n

No birds were flying overhead\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n

There were no birds to fly.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

The Walrus and the Carpenter, feigning empathy, lament the state of the beach:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wept like anything to see<\/i><\/p>\n

Such quantities of sand.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIf this were only cleared away,\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

They said, \u201cit would be grand!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIf seven maids with seven mops<\/i><\/p>\n

Swept it for half a year,<\/i><\/p>\n

Do you suppose,\u201d the Walrus said,<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThat they could get it clear?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt it,\u201d said the Carpenter,<\/i><\/p>\n

And shed a bitter tear.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Despite the nonsensical nature of their conversation, the young oysters remain captivated, oblivious to the fate awaiting them. Ultimately, their \u201cpleasure trip\u201d ends with the Walrus and the Carpenter devouring them, having lured them into a trap with false charm and promises.<\/p>\n

If we interpret this poem in a political context relevant to contemporary issues, it can serve as a metaphor for the growing divide between election promises and the realities delivered. The story also highlights the disregard for wisdom from the older generation and the aimless march of youth, captivated by hollow rhetoric and distractions, toward an uncertain outcome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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