The riddle “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” is one of the most famous and perplexing literary puzzles, famously posed by the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. For generations, readers have pondered this nonsensical question, searching for a definitive answer. However, the truth behind the riddle is perhaps more curious than any solution.
As revealed in the preface to later editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll himself admitted that the riddle, in its inception, had no answer at all. Facing persistent inquiries from puzzled readers, Carroll eventually devised a response as an “after-thought.” His proposed answer, included in the preface, was: “Because it can produce a few notes, though they are VERY flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!” The word “nevar” is “raven” spelled backward, adding a playful layer to his explanation. Carroll explicitly stated, however, that “the Riddle, as originally invented, had no answer at all.” This candid admission highlights the riddle’s true nature: it was designed to be a nonsensical element within the Mad Hatter’s chaotic tea party.
Despite Carroll’s declaration that the riddle was originally without an answer, many have since offered their own interpretations and solutions. Literary critic Martin Gardner, in More Annotated Alice, shared reader-submitted answers like “both have quills dipped in ink” and “because it slopes with a flap.” A competition held by The Spectator magazine yielded humorous and clever responses such as: “because one has flapping fits and the other fitting flaps,” “because one is good for writing books and the other better for biting rooks,” and “because a writing desk is a rest for pens and a raven is a pest for wrens.”
Literary scholar John Fisher, in his book The Magic of Lewis Carroll, also quoted a solution attributed to puzzle expert Sam Loyd: “The notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes.” Loyd further suggested connections by noting “Poe wrote on both” (referencing Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven”) and that “bills and tales are among their characteristics.”
Ultimately, the enduring charm of “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” lies not in finding a single correct answer, but in the riddle’s inherent absurdity and the creative interpretations it inspires. It serves as a delightful example of Carroll’s whimsical genius, inviting readers to embrace the nonsensical and to find amusement in the absence of a logical solution. The riddle remains a testament to the power of language and the joy of playful, unanswered questions in literature.
