Thursday, 27 January 2011

Lewis Carroll


Jabberwocky

’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.



“
”

Lewis Carroll ( the Revd. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson )
27th January 1832 - 14th January 1898
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2 comments:

  1. M. D. Jackson28 January 2011 at 00:12

    One of my favourite poems in the world. I particularly love the original illustration.

    The poem also inspired two of my other favourites, Henry Kuttner's "All Mimsy were the Borogroves" and Terry Gilliam's "Jabberwocky".

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  2. Simon B 28 January 2011 at 17:15

    Hi M.D!
    Even though many, many fine artists have illustrated Carroll's work over the years ( including the wonderful Arthur Rackham! ) I still think of Tenniel's "Alice" as the definitive version.

    That Kuttner story is a classic, isn't it? Have you read The Graveyard Rats? Creepy as hell...

    I haven't seen Gilliam's Jabberwocky in a very long time, but I remember it being a fun film with his usual brand of mud-caked, medieval mayhem :-)

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