If you’ve never read Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky,” give it a shot. The text is here and it’s only twenty-eight lines.
“Jabberwocky” was originally published as part of his novel Through the Looking-Glass, which is next on my reading list as soon as I finish China Mieville’s Kraken.
The poem is generally called “nonsense verse,” which means that he made up a lot of the words. But “nonsense” isn’t quite right, because although the words don’t have dictionary entries, you can still get a sense of what the poem is about. This is partly because of context, and partly because he didn’t form the words at random; if “mimsy,” for example, sounds vaguely weak or pathetic, maybe it’s because it’s a combination of “miserable” and “flimsy,” and sounds similar to “wimpy” for good measure.
I think it’s a fun poem, and I’m especially partial to its airtight meter. But what I find really remarkable is that no fewer than five of Carroll’s “nonsense” words went on to migrate into the dictionary. All five of the words below give their etymology as “coined by Lewis Caroll”:
chortle – to chuckle gleefully
galumph – to move along heavily and clumsily
bandersnatch – an unconventional person considered a menace
frabjous – wonderful, elegant, superb, or delicious
jabberwocky – writing that contains “nonsense” words, like the poem
There may be others I missed; and that list covers only the words that are widely accepted by Real Dictionaries (though not, apparently, by WordPress, which underlined “bandersnatch” and “frabjous” in red). Other words, like “vorpal,” though not quite to the status of dictionary words, have still gone on to wider use (in video games, for instance).
Five new words in twenty-eight lines: that’s about one new word coined for every six lines. Can any other English work claim to be that fertile?
Brian D. Buckley 
I love Lewis Carroll. Let me know when you’ve finished Through the Looking Glass. I have a DVD copy of this particular “Alice in Wonderland” (I had the VHS when I was a kid) that is very close to the book which I read it a few years ago. It shocked me that they were so similar because not many movies follow books that closely. I actually haven’t seen it in years (I have the DVD but never watched it yet) so maybe we all can make a movie night out of it =)
I would definitely be up for that. I’ve been jonesin’ to get to the Alice books for a while…read faster, Brian, read faster!
I feel rather smug about that fact that I’ve used three out of those five words in conversation before. Not in the SAME conversation–that would be daft.
I feel rather dumb, however, for not having known they were Carrollisms. I really should have paid attention in school.
Which three were they? I’m going to guess “chortle” and “galumph” on the first two, but no idea on the third.
I see you read my note on communicator 😉
Which one was that? I read it this morning but I don’t remember it being related…maybe I am just forgetting.
It was sometime earlier today – I think mid afternoon, but maybe earlier. It was an excerpt from the poem, and should still be up:
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
That said, it’s entirely possible we were just creepily in sync today… it’s happened before
Haha…that’s a weird coincidence! I actually posted this in the morning before work. Creepy…
And I didnt see this until after work… definitely wierd, but at the same time awesome!
Brian, you inspired me. 😀 I tried writing a poem like “Jabberwocky”. It was sort of an assignment for a class I am taking. Tell me what you think, i’m always open to comments. 😀 And NO you have to figure out the words for yourself before i give them to you. 😉
Cool, I will check it out.