Carroll has Humpty Dumpty explain the word “slithy” used in the “JABBERWOCKY” poem. Humpty replies to Alice saying, “Well, ‘slithy’ means ‘lithe and slimy.’ ‘Lithe’ is the same as ‘active.’ You see it’s like a portmanteau” (Carroll 126-127). Similar to Lewis Carroll, John Lennon invented his own words while writing the lyrics to “I Am the Walrus.” In his song, Lennon writes the line, “See how they
Smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snied” (Line 26). Lennon created the word “snied.” Robert A. Granville writes in his article, “I Am the Walrus: What it means…” that “Then there are a few of Lennon’s own ‘portmanteau’ words… Certainly “snied” (most probably an amalgram of “sneer” and “snide”)” (2). Granville’s statement affirms that Lennon’s lyrics replicate Carroll’s writing technique of word invention. “I Am the Walrus” not only utilizes word invention, but also employs Carroll’s technique of comical wordplay.
Lewis Carroll weaves comical wordplay throughout his book. Comical wordplay reveals itself in the conversation between Alice and Tweedle Dee, when Dee reprimands Alice saying, “If it was so, it might be ; and if it were so, it would be ; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic” (Carroll 68). Like Carroll, John Lennon facilitates comical wordplay in the lyrics of “I Am the Walrus.” Lennon’s comical wordplay exposes itself in the first line: “I am he as you are he as you are me / And we are all together” (Lines, 1-2). Ben Urish and Ken Bielen write in their book, The Words and Music of John Lennon that “As Lennon’s lyrical composing matured, he often combined his comical wordplay and imaginative flights, sometimes just for the absurdity itself” (2). Urish and Bielen confirm that Lennon infuses comical wordplay into his lyrics. Lennon’s creativity in “I Am the Walrus” continues not only through comical wordplay, but also through absurd phrases.
The walrus from Lennon’s song “I Am the Walrus” derives directly from the walrus character in Lewis Carroll’s poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter” from the book Through the Looking-glass and What Alice Found There. John Lennon identifies himself with the walrus. In his book, Can’t Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, And America, Jonathan Gould writes, “… Lewis Carroll’s Walrus is one of the greatest con men in all of children’s literature, and John Lennon’s forthright identification with him turned this predatory creature into a potent symbol…” (444). Gould confirms that Lennon speaks of himself when singing the line “I am the walrus.” In Lewis Carroll’s book, Alice originally views the Walrus as a good guy. Alice later changes her mind when she realizes the Walrus ate more oysters than the Carpenter. Similar to Alice, Lennon originally identifies the Walrus as the good guy in the poem, but later changes his view. Tim Riley, in his book, Lennon, explains, “Lennon later regretted confusing Carroll’s ‘Walrus and the Carpenter’ character as a hero instead of villain” (368). Riely’s statement affirms Lennon’s original misinterpretation of the walrus as a hero. Though Lennon identifies with the Walrus, he also incorporates other aspects of Alice’s experiences during her trip in his song.
During her adventure in Lewis Carroll’s book, Through the Looking-glass and What Alice Found There, Alice tends to break down and cry. For example, Carroll writes, “‘I am real!’ said Alice, and began to cry” (82). Alice also spends a considerable amount of time conversing with Humpty Dumpty. Lennon takes the aspect of Alice’s crying spells, and the character Humpty Dumpty, and integrates them into his song. He consistently repeats the phrases “I’m crying,” and “I am the eggman.” David Pritchard and Alan Lysaght quote Lennon in their book, The Beatles an Oral History, saying, “When I was a kid, I liked Alice in Wonderland and the poems that came from Jabberwocky… I wanted to be a combination of Lewis Carroll and Robert Searle” (195). Pritchard’s and Lysaght’s quoting of Lennon reinforces the claim that Lennon takes aspects of the adventure Alice has during her trip, such as her emotional outbursts and time spent with Humpty Dumpty. Most of the ideas for “I Am the Walrus” come directly from Lewis Carroll’s book, but other lyrics come from personal drug-induced hallucinations of Lennon.
Lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD classifies as a hallucinogenic drug. Drugs of this class rouse changes in the brain. The symptoms revolve around the way the brain perceives sound and sight. Users of LSD experience extreme mood swings, alterations among the five senses and often find themselves feeling extremely anxious to the point of panic, or depressed. An acid trip defines these extreme sensations. During an acid trip, a person’s mood enhances based upon the feelings prior to taking the drug. A person in a happy mood will most likely develop an even happier state of mind while on an acid trip. Users can also have the opposite effect and the experience results in terror. When on an acid trip, the brain often confuses the five senses. For example, the sense of sight and hearing may switch. A switch of the senses can cause confusion and worry, which quickly leads to panic. According to The Merck Manual of Medical Information, “As the trip continues, the user begins to lose control and can temporarily become psychotic” (Berkow 451). The symptoms previously stated provide the bizarre setting to produce a nonsensical song such as “I Am the Walrus.” Lennon received stimulation for “I Am the Walrus” while on his own acid trips. Robert A. Granville, in his article “I Am the Walrus’: What it means….,” states that: “…Lennon’s experiences with hallucinogenic drugs gave him the necessary insight…Where images succeed others at random, and where impossible things really happen (‘sitting on a cornflake’, etc.)” (3). Granville’s analysis reinforces the claim that Lennon uses drugs to gain motivation for his nonsensical lyrics. Not only did acid trips directly inspire lyrics for “I Am the Walrus,” but Lennon’s arrest for possession of drugs sparked inspiration as well. The line “Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower” (Line 28) refers to Lennon’s arrest by Norman Pilcher for possession of drugs. Tim Riley, in his book, Lennon, writes, “Busting Lennon suggested that Pilcher understood rock’s rough pecking order – nobody brought bigger headlines. John and Yoko were taken to Paddington Green police station and charged with possession…” (419). Riley’s statement affirms that Lennon’s arrest for drugs provides additional fodder for his song. Drugs prove as a key method of creativity for Lennon in song writing.
John Lennon’s song, “I Am the Walrus,” stands as not just a bunch of random words and phrases thrown together, but rather a carefully thought out compilation of words and reality gathered from a lifetime of experiences, including children’s poetry, acid trips, and arrest for drug possession. Lennon’s genius revolves around his ability to draw inspiration from a variety of resources when creating a song. Past art and literature influence subsequent art and literature with no regard to time. John Lennon drew off of British literature written in 1872. Almost one hundred years later, Carroll’s book provides inspiration for one of the leaders of the 1960’s