Jabberwocky (Lewis Carroll)

This is a much loved poem. Lewis Carroll displays so much creativity in this poem as he does is all his work. He must have been a terribly interesting person.

I adore (as I imagine everyone does) the first and last stanza of the poem where the majority of words are total nonsense. I also adore how despite the uniformity of the words the stanzas read differently. The first is all set-up. It's full of anticipation. Whereas the last is quiet, a stealthy exit from the scene.

I also love the story, the plot contained between the nonsensical lines. I love how this poem is almost an ethnography of a foreign culture. They have a different language. They have different flora. They hunt with blades. They have strange creatures. And yet, I am not confused by this poem. Even with 30% of the poem written in not-English I am not confused. True, a reader is just dropped into the poem and its world, but Carroll is so sure with how he presents this new place that you're okay and you even enjoy it.

Favorite line: "'Come to my arms, my beamish boy!/O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'/He chortled in his joy."