Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son
   The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
   The frumious Bandersnatch!"
 
Complete with made-up language and great rhythm, Lewis Carroll's poem about the Jabberwocky is both fun and enchanting. I especially enjoyed the above stanza where he lists the other creatures we should be cautious of. You may remember the jabberwocky from Tim Burton's 2010 Alice in Wonderland. And just for kicks, here's Johnny Depp's dance:

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3 comments:

  1. ZMay 8, 2013 at 8:42 PM

    I love all things Lewis Carroll! I think I'll add Jabberwocky to my poetry list, since the last time I read it was in elementary school.

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  2. CharlyMay 8, 2013 at 10:27 PM

    Looks like Carroll's using iambs here. Beware the Jabberwock my son. The syllables per line are shorter than you would see in most English poems. 8886.

    Any ideas on why he made these choices?

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  3. CharlyMay 8, 2013 at 10:33 PM

    I was inspired to look in the LDS Hymnbook to see meters that could match this verse (more or less).

    My favorites :

    I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
    Ring Out Wild Bells
    I Know that My Redeemer Lives

    The first two are commonly known for their lyrics by two other seminal nineteenth-century poets, Longfellow and Tennyson. It fits!

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