Hello. Fats here.
As we continue with our theme on Monsters, Beasts, and Chimeras: Spooks and Spectres, I am sharing with you a poem written by Lewis Carroll, the genius behind Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, one of my favorite books of all time. Poetry Friday round-up is hosted this week by the lovely and talented Laura Purdie Salas of Writing the World for Kids. So, what are you waiting for? Sit back and relax.
Oh, and “beware the jabberwock, my son!”
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 a while 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!
Oh 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.
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Hi, Fats. We have a “Jabberwocky” tradition in our family. My brother and I both memorized the poem when we were in high school (he played the Mock Turtle in a school production). Now my 13-year-old also knows the poem by heart. There’s something so magical about the way Lewis Carroll plays with the hero story in this poem.
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This is one of my all-time favorite poems. I love the language and the sounds. I want to make up words too! I had a dream this week and when I woke up I was thinking “gin, it’s not a word, it’s a sound.” Weird, huh?
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One of my favorites, too. So much fun to read aloud. A great exercise in defining words by context, too.
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I love the first picture! And the poem, of course! 😀
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Those are some seriously scary Jabberwocks!
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Perfect pick for your theme!!
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Ha! I usually am not a fan of poems with a lot of made-up words (though one or two works brilliantly for me). But this one I do love–there’s enough other content to totally translate those words. Slithy has always been my fav:>)
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