‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll.

This poem is great for simply reading out loud to children and enjoying the sounds of the words and the rhythm of the language.  However, if you wish to explore it further, as a parent or educator, you could ask students to come up with alternatives to the nonsense words. This could then lead to a discussion about word classes, which can be differentiated according to age and ability. For example, ‘brillig’ could be substituted with an adjective such as ‘cold’ or a noun such as ‘Christmas’. Other words may be less flexible: must ‘gyre’ and ‘gimble’ always be verbs? What do you think the adjective ‘slithy’ means? Draw a picture of what the Jabberwocky looks like. Explore and have fun!

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 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 gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

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