Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogroves,
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 manxsome 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 gimbole in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogroves
And the mome raths outgrabe.
**Title & Authorship**
The poem is “Jabberwocky,” a playful, nonsensical work by Lewis Carroll (often spelled “Carrol” in the text provided). It is originally part of Carroll’s 1871 novel Through the Looking‑Glass, where it serves as a parody of heroic epic poetry.
**Structure & Form**
Carroll presents the poem in a single stanza of 12 lines, but the text supplied here repeats the opening and closing verses. The poem follows a strict rhyme scheme (ABABBACDCECD) with an octave and sestet, reminiscent of the sonnet form. Each line is written in anapestic trimeter, giving the verse a jaunty, rhythmic quality that matches its whimsical content.
**Imagery & Language**
Carroll invents a whole lexicon of “portmanteau” words—blends that combine meanings (e.g., slithy, mimsy, frumious). These words create vivid, fantastical images that simultaneously feel familiar and absurd. The poem’s imagery oscillates between the mundane (a tree, a sword) and the fantastic (the Jabberwock’s flaming eyes, the “vorpal blade”).
**Narrative Arc**
1. **Exposition** – The setting is a strange, dreamlike forest where “slithy toves” and “borogroves” roam.
2. **Inciting Incident** – A warning about the Jabberwock and other beasts is delivered, prompting the hero to arm himself.
3. **Climax** – The hero confronts the Jabberwock, striking it with his vorpal sword.
4. **Resolution** – The creature is slain; the hero celebrates with jubilant exclamations, completing a heroic cycle.
**Themes & Motifs**
- **The Power of Language:** The poem celebrates the creative potential of words, turning nonsense into meaning.
- **Heroism & Adventure:** It satirizes the traditional hero’s journey, yet still rewards bravery with triumph.
- **Surrealism & Playfulness:** The nonsensical elements encourage readers to enjoy the poem for its sound and rhythm rather than literal sense.
**Literary Significance**
“Jabberwocky” is a landmark in modernist literature. Its inventive diction influenced later writers and remains a staple of English literary studies, often used to illustrate the flexibility of language and the joy of poetic invention.
More poems by Lewis Carrol
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