'Tis the Voice of the Lobster facts for kids
"'Tis the Voice of the Lobster" is a silly poem written by Lewis Carroll. You can find it in Chapter 10 of his famous book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which was published in 1865. In the story, the main character, Alice, recites this poem to two other characters: the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon.
About the Lobster Poem
This poem is known for being quite nonsensical and funny. It's a great example of the playful and imaginative world Lewis Carroll created in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Original Poem
In the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice tries to recite this poem. Her head is full of thoughts about the "Lobster Quadrille" dance they just did. This makes her mix up the words a bit! The Gryphon and the Mock Turtle even interrupt her because they find it so confusing.
Here is the part of the poem as it first appeared in the book:
'Tis the voice of the lobster; I heard him declare,
"You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair."
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.
Alice's recitation is stopped by the Mock Turtle. He says it is "the most confusing thing I ever heard."
A Longer Version
Years later, in 1886, Lewis Carroll made a longer version of the poem. He changed one of the animals in the poem from an oyster to a panther. This expanded version was created for a play based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Here is the longer poem:
'Tis the voice of the Lobster, I heard him declare
"You have baked me too brown: I must sugar my hair."
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt & his buttons, & turns out his toes.
When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,
And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark:
But, when the tide rises and Sharks are around,
His voice has a timid & tremulous sound.
I passed by his garden, & marked with one eye
How the Owl & the Panther were sharing a pie:
The Panther took pie-crust, & gravy, & meat,
While the Owl got the dish as his share of the treat.
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
While the Panther received knife & fork with a growl,
And concluded the banquet by eating the Owl.
