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“Jabberwocky” Language is a funny thing. Lewis Carroll opens the first chapter of his book, Alice Through The Looking-Glass, with the poem “Jabberwocky.” The word jabberwocky is defined as meaningless speech or writing, which is what the poem is at first glance. Confusion is the principle mindset when you try to understand the meaning of “brillig” and “toves.” What are they? Who are they? What is going on? The only clear thing someone can make out of the text is that something gets killed. These portmanteaus base meanings are not even used in everyday language, they are lost on today’s culture. However, they are essential to the tone of the poem. These words make the poem playful and give it a child-like quality. The first verse of “Jabberwocky” is almost unintelligible. After deciphering it you can tell that there is much to understand. Basically it tells that the animals of the forest, namely badgers, parrots, and turtles, all seem unhappy and are trying to get away from something. The portmanteaus all spell out, in one way or another, the mood of the creatures. They aren’t your garden variety happy go lucky type of forest beings.
Approximate Word count = 749
Approximate Pages = 3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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