The Walrus and the Carpenter

"The Walrus and the Carpenter" is a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll published in December 1871 in his book "Through the Looking-Glass". In chapter four, Tweedledum and Tweedledee recite it to Alice. The poem tells of a walrus and a carpenter who meet on a beach and decide to go for a walk. They come across a group of oysters, and the walrus persuades them to join, but the oysters follow them and are eventually all eaten.

The characters have been interpreted in many ways, both in literary criticism and popular culture. British essayist J. B. Priestley argued that the figures were political, while Walter Russell Mead suggested they represent aspects of Protestant and Transcendentalist society in Carroll's time. The poem was also inspired by two sea stacks standing outside the holiday home Carroll stayed at in Llandudno, Wales.