Jabberwock

"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). The book tells of Alice's adventures within the back-to-front world of Looking-glass world.

In an early scene in which she first encounters the chess piece characters White King and White Queen, Alice finds a book written in a seemingly unintelligible language. Realising that she is travelling through an inverted world, she recognises that the verses on the pages are written in mirror-writing. She holds a mirror to one of the poems and reads the reflected verse of "Jabberwocky". She finds the nonsense verse as puzzling as the odd land she has passed into, later revealed as a dreamscape.

"Jabberwocky" is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English. Its playful, whimsical language has given English nonsense words and neologisms such as " wikt:galumphing, galumphing" and "chortle".

Origin and publication

A decade before the publication of ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and the sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', Carroll wrote the first stanza to what would become "Jabberwocky" while in Croft on Tees, close to Darlington, where he had lived as a child. It was printed in 1855 in ''Mischmasch'', a periodical he wrote and illustrated for the amusement of his family. The piece was titled "Stanza of Anglo-Saxon Poetry" and read:

Here, ''y^e'' is a ye-form of the word ''the''. The stanza is printed first in faux-mediaeval lettering as a "relic of ancient Poetry" and printed again on the same page "in modern characters".

The rest of the poem was written during Carroll's stay with relatives at Whitburn, near Sunderland. The story may have been partly inspired by the local Sunderland area legend of the Lambton Worm and the tale of the Sockburn Worm.

The concept of nonsense verse was not original to Carroll, who would have known of chapbooks such as ''The World Turned Upside Down'' and stories such as "The Grand Panjandrum". Nonsense existed in Shakespeare's work and was well-known in the Brothers Grimm's fairytales, some of which are called lying tales or ''lügenmärchen''. Roger Lancelyn Green suggests that "Jabberwocky" is a parody of the old German ballad "The Shepherd of the Giant Mountains" in which a shepherd kills a griffin that is attacking his sheep."Jabberwocky back to Old English: Nonsense, Anglo-Saxon and Oxford" by Lucas, Peter J. in ''Language History and Linguistic Modelling'' (1997) p503-520 Hudson, Derek (1977) ''Lewis Carroll: an illustrated biography''. Crown Publishers, 76 The ballad had been translated into English in blank verse by Carroll's cousin Menella Bute Smedley in 1846, many years before the appearance of the Alice books. Historian Sean B. Palmer suggests that Carroll was inspired by a section from William Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', citing the lines: "The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead/Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets" from Act I, Scene i.

John Tenniel reluctantly agreed to illustrate the book in 1871, and his illustrations are still the defining images of the poem. The illustration of the Jabberwock may reflect the contemporary Victorian obsession with natural history and the fast-evolving sciences of palaeontology and geology. Stephen Prickett notes that in the context of Darwin and Mantell's publications and vast exhibitions of dinosaurs, such as those at the Crystal Palace from 1854, it is unsurprising that Tenniel gave the Jabberwock "the leathery wings of a pterodactyl and the long scaly neck and tail of a sauropod."Prickett, Stephen (2005) ''Victorian Fantasy'' Baylor University Press p80

Lexicon

Many of the words in the poem are playful nonce words of Carroll's own invention, without intended explicit meaning. When Alice has finished reading the poem she gives her impressions:

This may reflect Carroll's intention for his readership; the poem is, after all, part of a dream. In later writings he discussed some of his lexicon, commenting that he did not know the specific meanings or sources of some of the words; the linguistic ambiguity and uncertainty throughout both the book and the poem may largely be the point.

In ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the character of Humpty Dumpty, in response to Alice's request, explains to her the non-sense words from the first stanza of the poem, but Carroll's personal commentary on several of the words differ from Humpty Dumpty's. For example, following the poem, a "rath" is described by Humpty Dumpty as "a sort of green pig". Carroll's notes for the original in ''Mischmasch'' suggest a "rath" is "a species of Badger" that "lived chiefly on cheese" and had smooth white hair, long hind legs, and short horns like a stag. The appendices to certain ''Looking Glass'' editions state that the creature is "a species of land turtle" that lived on swallows and oysters. Later critics added their own interpretations of the lexicon, often without reference to Carroll's own contextual commentary. An extended analysis of the poem and Carroll's commentary is given in the book ''The Annotated Alice'' by Martin Gardner.

In 1868 Carroll asked his publishers, Macmillan, "Have you any means, or can you find any, for printing a page or two in the next volume of Alice in reverse?" It may be that Carroll was wanting to print the whole poem in mirror writing. Macmillan responded that it would cost a great deal more to do, and this may have dissuaded him.

In the author's note to the Christmas 1896 edition of ''Through the Looking-Glass'' Carroll writes, "The new words, in the poem Jabberwocky, have given rise to some differences of opinion as to their pronunciation, so it may be well to give instructions on ''that'' point also. Pronounce 'slithy' as if it were the two words, 'sly, thee': make the 'g' ''hard'' in 'gyre' and 'gimble': and pronounce 'rath' to rhyme with 'bath'."

In the Preface to ''The Hunting of the Snark'', Carroll wrote, " etme take this opportunity of answering a question that has often been asked me, how to pronounce 'slithy toves'. The 'i' in 'slithy' is long, as in 'writhe', and 'toves' is pronounced so as to rhyme with 'groves'. Again, the first "o" in "borogoves" is pronounced like the 'o' in 'borrow'. I have heard people try to give it the sound of the 'o' in 'worry'. Such is Human Perversity."

Possible interpretations of words

* Bandersnatch: A swift moving creature with snapping jaws, capable of extending its neck. A "bander" was also an archaic word for a "leader", suggesting that a "bandersnatch" might be an animal that hunts the leader of a group.
* Beamish: Radiantly beaming, happy, cheerful. Although Carroll may have believed he had coined this word, usage in 1530 is cited in the ''Oxford English Dictionary''. References the Oxford English Dictionary (1530).
* Borogove: Following the poem Humpty Dumpty says: borogove' is a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round, something like a live mop." In ''Mischmasch'' borogoves are described differently: "An extinct kind of Parrot. They had no wings, beaks turned up, and made their nests under sun-dials: lived on veal." In ''Hunting of the Snark'', Carroll says that the initial syllable of ''borogove'' is pronounced as in ''borrow'' rather than as in ''worry''.
* Brillig: Following the poem, the character of Humpty Dumpty comments: Brillig' means four o'clock in the afternoon, the time when you begin broiling things for dinner." According to ''Mischmasch'', it is derived from the verb to ''bryl'' or ''broil''.
* Burbled: In a letter of December 1877, Carroll notes that "burble" could be a mixture of the three verbs 'bleat', 'murmur', and 'warble', although he did not remember creating it.Lewis Carroll, Letter to Maud Standen, December 1877
* Chortled: "Combination of 'chuckle' and 'snort'." (OED)
* Frabjous: Possibly a blend of "fair", "fabulous", and "joyous". Definition from ''Oxford English Dictionary'', credited to Lewis Carroll.
* Frumious: Combination of "fuming" and "furious". In the Preface to ''The Hunting of the Snark'' Carroll comments, " ke the two words 'fuming' and 'furious'. Make up your mind that you will say both words, but leave it unsettled which you will say first. Now open your mouth and speak. If your thoughts incline ever so little towards 'fuming', you will say 'fuming-furious'; if they turn, by even a hair's breadth, towards 'furious', you will say 'furious-fuming'; but if you have the rarest of gifts, a perfectly balanced mind, you will say 'frumious'."
* Galumphing: Perhaps used in the poem as a blend of "gallop" and "triumphant". Used later by Kipling, and cited by Webster as "To move with a clumsy and heavy tread"
* Gimble: Humpty Dumpty comments that it means: "to make holes like a gimlet."
* Gyre: "To 'gyre' is to go round and round like a gyroscope." ''Gyre'' is entered in the OED from 1420, meaning a circular or spiral motion or form; especially a giant circular oceanic surface current. Carroll also wrote in ''Mischmasch'' that it meant to scratch like a dog. The ''g'' is pronounced like the /g/ in ''gold'', not like ''gem'' (since this was how "gyroscope" was pronounced in Carroll's day).From the preface to ''Through the Looking-Glass''.
* Jabberwock: When a class in the Girls' Latin School in Boston asked Carroll's permission to name their school magazine ''The Jabberwock'', he replied: "The Anglo-Saxon word 'wocer' or 'wocor' signifies 'offspring' or 'fruit'. Taking 'jabber' in its ordinary acceptation of 'excited and voluble discussion', this would give the meaning of 'the result of much excited and voluble discussion'..."Carroll, Lewis (Author), Tenniel, John
(2003). ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass'', pp. 328–331. Penguin Classics. It is often depicted as a monster similar to a dragon. John Tenniel's illustration depicts it with a long serpentine neck, rabbit-like teeth, spidery talons, bat-like wings and, as a humorous touch, a waistcoat. In the 2010 film version of ''Alice in Wonderland'' it is shown with large back legs, small dinosaur-like front legs, and on the ground it uses its wings as front legs like a pterosaur, and it breathes out lightning flashes rather than flame.
* Jubjub bird: "A desperate bird that lives in perpetual passion", according to the Butcher in Carroll's later poem ''The Hunting of the Snark''. 'Jub' is an ancient word for a jerkin or a dialect word for the trot of a horse (OED). It might make reference to the call of the bird resembling the sound "jub, jub".
* Manxome: Possibly 'fearsome'; Possibly a portmanteau of "manly" and "buxom", the latter relating to men for most of its history; or "three-legged" after the triskelion emblem of the Manx people from the Isle of Man.
* Mimsy: Humpty Dumpty comments that Mimsy' is 'flimsy and miserable.
* Mome: Humpty Dumpty is uncertain about this one: "I think it's short for 'from home', meaning that they'd lost their way, you know". The notes in ''Mischmasch'' give a different definition of 'grave' (via 'solemome', 'solemone' and 'solemn').
* Outgrabe: Humpty Dumpty says outgribing' is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle". Carroll's book appendices suggest it is the past tense of the verb to 'outgribe', connected with the old verb to 'grike' or 'shrike', which derived 'shriek' and 'creak' and hence 'squeak'.
* Rath: Humpty Dumpty says following the poem: "A 'rath' is a sort of green pig". Carroll's notes for the original in ''Mischmasch'' state that a 'Rath' is "a species of land turtle. Head erect, mouth like a shark, the front forelegs curved out so that the animal walked on its knees, smooth green body, lived on swallows and oysters." In the 1951 animated film adaptation of the previous book, the raths are depicted as small, multi-coloured creatures with tufty hair, round eyes, and long legs resembling pipe stems.
* Slithy: Humpty Dumpty says: Slithy' means 'lithe and slimy'. 'Lithe' is the same as 'active'. You see it's like a portmanteau, there are two meanings packed up into one word." The original in ''Mischmasch'' notes that 'slithy' means "smooth and active". The ''i'' is long, as in ''writhe''.
* Snicker-snack: possibly related to the large knife, the snickersnee.
* Tove: Humpty Dumpty says Toves' are something like badgers, they're something like lizards, and they're something like corkscrews. ... Also they make their nests under sun-dials, also they live on cheese." Pronounced so as to rhyme with ''groves''. They "gyre and gimble", i.e., rotate and bore. Toves are described slightly differently in ''Mischmasch'': "a species of Badger hichhad smooth white hair, long hind legs, and short horns like a stag ndlived chiefly on cheese".
* Tulgey: Carroll himself said he could give no source for this word. It could be taken to mean thick, dense, dark. It has been suggested that it comes from the Anglo-Cornish word ''tulgu'', 'darkness', which in turn comes from Cornish ''tewolgow'' 'darkness, gloominess'.
* Uffish: Carroll noted, "It seemed to suggest a state of mind when the voice is gruffish, the manner roughish, and the temper huffish".
* Vorpal: Carroll said he could not explain this word, though it has been noted that it can be formed by taking letters alternately from "verbal" and "gospel". It has appeared in dictionaries as meaning both 'deadly' and 'extremely sharp'.
* Wabe: The characters in the poem suggest it means "The grass plot around a sundial", called a 'wa-be' because it "goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it". In the original ''Mischmasch'' text, Carroll states a 'wabe' is "the side of a hill (from its being soaked by rain)".

Linguistics and poetics

Though the poem contains many nonsensical words, English syntax and poetic forms are observed, such as the quatrain verses, the general ABAB rhyme scheme and the iambic meter. Linguist Peter Lucas believes the "nonsense" term is inaccurate. The poem relies on a distortion of sense rather than "non-sense", allowing the reader to infer meaning and therefore engage with narrative while lexical allusions swim under the surface of the poem.

Marnie Parsons describes the work as a "semiotic catastrophe", arguing that the words create a discernible narrative within the structure of the poem, though the reader cannot know what they symbolise. She argues that Humpty Dumpty tries, after the recitation, to "ground" the unruly multiplicities of meaning with definitions, but cannot succeed as both the book and the poem are playgrounds for the "carnivalised aspect of language". Parsons suggests that this is mirrored in the prosody of the poem: in the tussle between the tetrameter in the first three lines of each stanza and trimeter in the last lines, such that one undercuts the other and we are left off balance, like the poem's hero.

Carroll wrote many poem parodies such as " Twinkle, twinkle little bat", " You Are Old, Father William" and "How Doth the Little Crocodile?" Some have become generally better known than the originals on which they are based, and this is certainly the case with "Jabberwocky". The poems' successes do not rely on any recognition or association of the poems that they parody. Lucas suggests that the original poems provide a strong container but Carroll's works are famous precisely because of their random, surreal quality. Carroll's grave playfulness has been compared with that of the poet Edward Lear; there are also parallels with the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins in the frequent use of soundplay, alliteration, created-language and portmanteau

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases