How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!
How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!
This poem is in the public domain.
about the poem
Lewis Carroll’s poem “The Crocodile” (1865) describes a smiling crocodile whose charm and beauty hide its predatory intent, illustrating themes of deception, danger beneath appearances, and a parody of moral Victorian verse.
