In a Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem, who "came whiffling through the tulgey wood"?

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book tells of Alice's adventures within the back-to-front world of Looking-Glass Land.

In an early scene in which she first encounters the chess piece characters White King and White Queen, Alice finds a book written in a seemingly unintelligible language. Realising that she is travelling through an inverted world, she recognises that the verses on the pages are written in mirror-writing. She holds a mirror to one of the poems and reads the reflected verse of "Jabberwocky". She finds the nonsense verse as puzzling as the odd land she has passed into, later revealed as a dreamscape.

"Jabberwocky" is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English. Its playful, whimsical language has given English nonsense words and neologisms such as "galumphing" and "chortle".

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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25 Comments

bradfieldscottv

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son. The jaws that bite, the claws that catch. Beware the Jub-Jub Bird and shun the frumious bandersnatch."

Joan Schmidt

It was a terrible question and an even more terrible answer. The poem was not nonsense. And the beast that whiffled through the tulgey wood was a JABBERWOCK ... not a jabberwocky.

Clayton Dean Brannon

Remember the TV series Fargo where the hit man quotes from this wonderful poem. It was perfect for this series.

Fred Keogh

Joan Schmidt, It was a 'nonsense' poem.

John W Shreve

My favorite used book store in S.F. is the Jabberwocky on Clement St.

Camille Curran

These “words” of wisdom have stood the test of time so far. Much of the advice is still valid today - just Jabberwoks in new incarnations. Frank Cowell,

Marianne Frederick Halterman

T'was brillig in the slithey toves...?

Kat

Looks like everyone except the author knows that the creature is the Jabberwock, in the poem Jabberwocky.

Howard Groopman

Carroll was actually a mathematician.

Dave Street

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. Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983) More About this Poem Related 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. Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983) More About this Poem Related