Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Jabberwocky

J is for Jabberwocky

My favorite nonsensical poem from one of my favorite all time tales. I love how it opens the door to the mind, creating a whole new world, that slowly comes alive the more you read the poem. How ingenious a writer was Carroll, to take words and split them up only to put them back together again in a new way.The more I read this poem the more I love it. Enjoy!


Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll found in Through the Looking-Glass

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
 

Find out more interesting facts by another blogger, Tim Brannan, who also posted on the Jabberwock

7 comments:

  1. Love, love, love, love, love! Read this back in high school and was fasncinated by it, but I haven't re-read it for years!

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  2. Love it! It's also one of my favorite pieces. I use it to get inspired or to clear my head when I am doing certain types of business (boring) copywriting.

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  3. Lewis Carroll spun the world on its ear for his young listeners, then young readers. Reality was always changing from the familiar to the bizarre in the most delightful ways for children of all ages.

    Thanks for reminding me of all the fun his books gave me as a child. Roland

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  4. Love that poem! It was a little ruined for me when all of the sudden a dance group with the same name got famous and I started hearing it all over the place.

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  5. Awesome! I came here from the A to Z blog and saw you did Jabberwocky. I did the Jabberwock as well!

    Very Awesome! Came here from the whole A to Z and was pleased to see you did the Jabberwock as well!

    J is for Jabberwock

    I'll put a link up on my post to yours as well.

    Tim

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