“Gently Smiling Jaws'', I know these tricks- and this is all one big illusion. The jaws of a crocodile are a symbol of power and strength. In one snap of its forceful jaw, so much harm can be done. Its prey can be maimed or killed with one clench of a crocodile's jaw, by no means is it gentle and soft. Its alluring and welcoming smile is lined with jagged knife-like teeth that are capable of cutting or ripping through almost anything imaginable. I have seen these same tricks used. I have used them myself.
I can only hope that my smile is as wretched. Some may think of it as a curse, but to me, it would be a blessing. A smile is beautiful and it is bewitching but what lies beneath it can be the opposite. Our true desires no matter how twisted, dark or innocent are hidden behind our devised smiles. It is all a part of our facade. Even with a cat-like face like mine, a smile can capture the attention of so many. A smile makes my intentions seem harmless and people will come running to the trap I have set.
Every inch of a crocodile is covered in shiny golden scales but its true allure is planned. As a master of deception, it plays into the little fish’s foolishness. The crocodile makes itself presentable. It washes its scales clean, it places its claws neat, and allows the little fish to fall for its trap. Everything is one big game and to win you need to have the wit of a crocodile, the perfect trickster. Because, the trickster takes what he wants, comes and goes as he pleases, and does not have to face a single consequence because he has fooled everyone in its way.
Editorial Commentary:
Any person of corruption would be drawn to “How Doth The Little Crocodile” by Lewis Carroll. The children’s poem merely describes the nature of a crocodile. The short but fitting piece is about how a predator lures in his prey. The predator ploys and plans his precise moves and its prey is oblivious to the simple yet complex trap the crocodile has set for them. The crocodile washes his dirty tail and makes it “shiny” and “golden”. The crocodile creates its own facade by presenting itself nicely and masking its true intentions to its prey. A goblin man would have this same approach. They would glorify the sweetness of their fruits and play the sweet music to tempt women into their trap. Christina Rossetti’s poem Goblin Market tells the story of two sisters Laura and Lizzie. Laura’s encounter with the goblin men is similar to the foolish fish who are allured by the crocodile in the poem. She falls for the sweet fruit, the calming music she hears, and the facade of the goblin men.
Like a crocodile’s animalistic desire and need for food, a goblin man would use force to get what he desired if his tricks did not fool his victim. The actions of these corrupt merchant men equate to the actions of a hungry and vicious crocodile. This is what happened to Laura’s sister Lizzie in the poem Goblin Market. Though she stood firm in rejecting the Goblin Men’s fruits, she was violated and assaulted by them.
Citation:
Carroll, Lewis. “The Crocodile by Lewis Carroll - Poems | Academy of American Poets.”
Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, poets.org/poem/crocodile.
Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44996/goblin-market.