Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This says it all...

Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll (from Through the Looking Glass)

'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.

******************************************

Memorized in the 8th grade, I think, for Mrs. Boren’s English class. Oh, only about 23 years ago?! Still love all those nonsense words… still have it memorized, word for word (and I’ll prove it... seriously… I will ;).

4 comments:

Laurie K said...

You would say parts of it in your sleep, too. Mumbling. Muttering. Sometimes very clearly. As I lay there wondering just where that vorpal sword was when I needed it.......

rusty b said...

was it 8th grade or 7th? i remember that brent and i portrayed the "'twas brillig" stanza... we had to go twice! were you the "uffish thought" stanza?

Stacy said...

You are on! I expect you to repeat it to me the next time I see you. No cheating and brushing up on it.

Tara said...

Hmmm. I remember having to remember it... but not which stanza. The "twas brillig" stanza is the one that sticks in my mind, but, um, that could've been for other reasons! ;)