The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

`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, has 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.

Analysis:

It is a poem written by Lewis Carroll, and was originally a part of his novel “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.” The poem is very bizarre and incorporates many nonsense words intertwined to make a piece of poetry. However, there is somewhat of an “ABAB” rhyme scheme throughout the piece. It is only somewhat of a rhyme scheme because two of the stanzas do not follow the same “ABAB” pattern.

The beginning of the poem repeats itself at the end. This is an interesting form of repetition, the authors emphasizes the stanza to ensure the importance of it. The importance of the beginning and ending stanzas is that Carroll is creating a setting for the reader. Despite the randomness and medieval choice of words, I imagine the setting to be a dark night in a forest. Making the setting a dark forest creates suspense of what will be waiting for you in the forest. Then Carroll warns you by saying: “Beware the Jabberwocky, my son!” The Jabberwocky is a creature unknown and mysterious. The beauty of this poem is that Carroll wants you to interpret what this creature or beast looks like. Every reader will imagine what the Jabberwocky will look like, no matter whether it has hooves, claws, or paws. My belief is that the reader will imagine a creature that will include most of their fears into one imaginary creature.

I view the Jabberwocky huge dragon-like creature that breathes fire and can melt your eyebrows from just being in its presence. As well, it has black scales and a rattle snake tail. You can’t look up into its eyes its yellow eyes pierce your soul and will make you tremble in your boots.

Carroll after the describing the Jabberwocky briefly and continues the story with a duel between a knight and the large creature. The Jabberwocky charges it opponent as it ‘burbled’ through the forest. Burbled meaning so sort of growl or roar to intimidate intruders. “The vorpal blade went snicker-snack.” I interpret this a strike by the knight towards the beast. After being struck, the Jabberwocky runs back into the forest. It’s interesting though because at the end, the death of the Jabberwocky is questioned; “And has thou slain the Jabberwock?” As a reader, you are unsure of what truly happened to the creature after this encounter between the knight and the Jabberwocky. Finally, Carroll finishes off with the same way the poem had begun, giving the image that everything is back to normal.