JabberwockArticle Free Pass Jabberwock, fictional character, a
ferocious monster described in the nonsense poem “Through the
Looking-Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll. Alice, the heroine of the
story, discovers this mock-epic poem in a book that she can read
only when it is reflected in a mirror. In the poem, a father
cautions his son to avoid the Jabberwock, a fearsome creature
that attacks with its teeth and claws. Upon encountering the
demonic beast, the boy-hero slays and beheads it with his
“vorpal blade,” much to the joyous relief of his father.
Carroll’s poem took on a life apart from the Alice stories. Not
only is it an excellent example of nonsense verse and the use of
portmanteau words, but scholars and wordsmiths have translated
it into many languages—French, German, and Latin among them—with
tongue-in-cheek claims of having discovered the poem in ancient
manuscripts. What made you want to look up "Jabberwock"? Please
share what surprised you most...