The Jabberwocky

When I was in Fourth Grade, I had to memorize a poem every week and recite it to the class on Fridays. We all looked forward to Fridays. The poetry was great and we were all very proud of our work. My teacher was a quiet, brilliant woman who knew that creating and maintaining a store of literary references was intellectually important. She also knew that fourth grade was a developmentally appropriate time for memorization. To this day, poetry rolls off my tongue. I thrilled my children the other night when while putting them to bed, I suddenly recited Lewis Carroll's fabulous made up words--

'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 a while 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!
Oh 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.

And if you want to share this with your class regardless of age because the words roll off your tongue and seem (are) quite exciting, try the amazing Graeme Base who can do no wrong.