"Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll is a classic tale of a hero's victory over a much-feared "mythological" creature. The poem's lilty rhythm and campfire-story feel add to its charm, creating a memorable work that is easily recognized by an overwhelming majority of the English-speaking world.
The narrator of the poem is unidentified, although only a few options are truly plausible. The first is that the narrator is the father of the hero. It seems to follow reasonably, since any dialogue made in the poem is spoken by the father of the young man responsible for slaying the jabberwocky. However, another plausible case is that the narrator is perhaps a storyteller, reciting the poem to some campfire friends as it has been passed down through the generations. This reading leads one to ponder: is the speaker really giving the story as it has been told to him? Or was he an eye-witness to the events spoken of in the storyline? The same questions hold true for the audience of the poem. Are they reading the story, like Alice did in Carroll's -Through the Looking Glass? Or are they those gathered around a fire with an older friend, telling them the tale as night settles in around them?
The setting is equally ambiguous. Obviously, the flora and fauna mentioned in the lines are unlike anything heard of in the world. Bandersnatches, jubjub birds, and jabberwocks roam freely and prowl about the forests; the valiant and courageous young man is noted as resting against a Tumtum tree. Clearly this is no ordinary scene. Readers are left to their own curiosity: Is this someplace that is supposed to actually exist in our known world? Could it be that this is the world of Wonderland that Alice discovered upon falling haphazardly from the rabbit hole?
The storyline of the poem, regardless of its setting or narrator, is fairly straightforward. The first stanza explains the world in which the audience finds the events unfolding, and the second gives a father's sincere warning to his son about the dangers lurking about in the very near woods. Stanzas three through five unravel during the young man's courageous expedition to traverse the woods-sword in hand- in search of the notorious jabberwock. Lo and behold, the jabberwock comes tromping through the woods, and our fearless (some might say insane) hero swings his sword around "One, Two! One, Two!". He makes quick work of decapitating the ferocious jabberwock, and brings its head back to his delighted, very proud father. The first stanza repeats and the poem comes to a close.
The poem is brilliant in imagery, making good use of its vocabulary, albeit mostly words that Carroll made up himself (which seemed to be a trademark of his). In the line "All mimsy were the borogroves", readers may get a feeling of these mentioned 'borogroves' being wilted and possibly dying. Most definitions of mimsy as an adjective seem to agree that it is a nonsensical combination of miserable and flimsy. This definition only serves to enhance a reader's visual image of a depressing and constraining environment, caused by dangerous predators lurking about.
The poem's overall feeling seems to slide and pull, almost like taffy. In its beginnings, we feel brought down by the dismal, doom-and-gloom feeling of the scene set by the poem. As the man ventures out with his sword to await the jabberwock, readers are filled with suspense, and possibly the disbelief that someone would be so bold as to take on such a feared and revered creature. However, those who were once apprehensive, fearing for the man's life find themselves heaving sighs of relief as they see that he does in fact triumph over the predator. Audiences may even feel compelled to celebrate with the hero as he comes swinging the head home to his beaming father. Yet at the end of the poem, the mood dims again, repeating the dark scenery created in the first stanza.
The poem is brilliantly crafted, using an ABAB rhyme scheme, nonsense wording, and lilty, rhythmic ebbs and flows. One could almost dance to a folksy tune created by the patterns formed in this poem. Carroll is not only a master story-teller, but a wizard with vocabulary (be it real or imaginary. The occasional use of alliteration such as "the claws that catch" and "beamish boy" add to the ease of memorizing the poem, and make it all the more fun to recite.
Lewis Carroll is an incredible writer; his stories and poems are famous the world over, spanning generations and genders, cultures and countries. "The Jabberwocky" is one such poem, and the fact that the poem has been published not solely by itself, but as a part of a classic piece such as Through The Looking Glass make it much more impressive. Its ambiguity and nonsense concepts make it entertaining and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on readers the world over.
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