What is the Difference Between Raven and Writing Desk?

The riddle "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" is proposed by the Mad Hatter during a tea party in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The riddle initially had no answer, as it was meant to be unsolvable. However, later on, Lewis Carroll offered an answer to the riddle: "Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!".

In summary, the differences between a raven and a writing desk are:

• Ravens are living creatures, while writing desks are inanimate objects.
• Ravens have two legs, while writing desks usually have four.
• The riddle plays with the word "never," which is written as "nevar" in the original text, connecting the idea of a raven being "nevar" (never) backwards and a writing desk being "always for words".

Comparative Table: Raven vs Writing Desk

The riddle "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" comes from Lewis Carroll's book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." The riddle is intended to be a play on words, as both ravens and writing desks produce notes or sounds, and they are typically viewed in a forward direction. Here is a table comparing the two:

Some other answers and suggestions have been provided by various sources, such as:

• Ravens and writing desks are both highly intelligent, found in a wide range of habitats, will eat almost anything, and like playing tricks on humans.
• In French, the word "bureau" contains all the letters in "corbeau," which is the French word for "raven".
• The riddle might be a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven," which could have been on Lewis Carroll's mind while he was sitting at his writing desk.
• A raven is nevar (never) backwards, and a writing desk is always for words.
• Ravens have quills in common with writing desks, especially if the desk is crafted from ebony.

However, Lewis Carroll himself provided the answer in an updated preface to the book, as mentioned above.