Poetry Analysis of How Doth The Little Crocodile:

-a,b,a,b c,d,c,d rhyming pattern
- speaker: caterpillar
-ongoing description of a crocodile's cunning and alluring grace as a predator
- logic is the known and acknowledged prey and predator tale in poetic beauty
- present tense
- most important words: shinning tail, golden scale, seems to grin, spreads his claws, gently smiling jaws. strong imagery of a fearfully inviting predator.
- repetition: How (lines 1,5,6) And (lines 3,6)
-tone, admiration towards the crocodile's natural abilities.
-central message: I think it can be paralleled to the serpent in Eden, convincing his prey to eat the forbidden fruit through smooth words and cunning. Here, the crocodile is also cunning in his appearance and ability to seduce his prey into his "gently smiling jaws". I think there is also a warning, beware what may seem beautiful and inviting might turn out to be a trap set by a skillful enemy.