Jabberwocky

As previously noted, I attended the Falmouth Historical Society's Annual Poetry Fest this past Wednesday. The event takes place every year on or about the birthday of Katherine Lee Bates, who would be 149 years old this year.

Every year, they invite community leaders to read a poem. When I read the invitation, "Jabberwocky", by Lewis Carroll, was the first poem that came to mind.

This poem was introduced to me by a friend when I was back in grade school. At the time, we all played Dungeons & Dragons, a role playing game loosely based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" novels. Although "Jabberwocky" was a nonsense poem - many of the words were made up by Carroll - the image of a mythical creature slain by a sword fit into the imaginary world in which we played.


Jabberwocky

`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, has 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.