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 awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffing 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.

The above poem is my favorite in all the world and has been since the first time I heard it in third grade (boy was that a long time ago!). I guess I love it because it makes absolutely no sense at all and that is how most of my life has seemed to me. Entire books have been written about this simple poem, trying to "explain" the authors meaning and what some of the nonsense words are "really supposed to be" but no one has ever really been able to interpret this wonderful piece. My mother always explained it by telling me that there are some things that shouldn't be explained, but accepted for what they are, and like people, loved for what they are to you and not evaluated to death.

Page created and maintained by B. Miller: