Non-Sense Poetry and The Parody: A Reflection of Beowulf in The Jabberwocky

[ofcatslives]

I have delayed writing on The Jabberwocky, because I wanted to create a post dealing with both that poem and Beowulf. The aim of this post is to provide some evidence for the point I made in tutorial about Non-sense Poetry being more than fun, but rather, in the case of The Jabberwocky, a mockery of Old English epic poems, such as Beowulf (a point

Comments

[tricia_stewart]

Hi Janice, Wonderful comparison. You've convinced me that Carroll probably wrote The Jabberwocky in a parody of the epic style but whether or not it was written as a parody of that scene from Beowulf...Well, as you said, Carroll only knows. :)

-Tricia

Toast to you

[anonymous]

All I can say is wow, you really went in depth here, I can see how Carroll's Jabberwocky could be a parody based perhaps on Beowulf, you gave stunning illustrations to back up your argument. Now I understand what you were saying in tutorial, mocking was just a bad choice of words because it leads you to believe that the artist is devaluing something when in this case he is not. Points to you.
P.S.-Why is it that you did not enjoy the Alice in Wonderland illustrations (referring back to a comment you posted earlier)..I mean you're a cat lover, didnt you love the Chesire Cat??? I certainly did.
-Lesley-Anne

Re: Toast to you

[may_posa1]

the above is me btw...forgot to log in

Re: Toast to you

[ofcatslives]

Thank you.

You are right, I made a very bad word choice in tutorial. Mockery was not at all what I intended to mean. It is more so my belief that Carroll was imitating the characteristics of the epic genre for a humorous effect rather than making a mockery of the genre and disrespecting the work of earlier writers, such as the (unknown) individual who wrote Beowulf.

Why is it I do not enjoy the Alice in Wonderland illustrations? I remember feeling frightened by them, I thought the characters were all so peculiar and I associated that with some sort of evil and the drawings tended to support my view. The Chesire Cat in particular bothered me, his smirk is the embodiment of evil. Despite my love for cats, I have to say that was one cat I really didn't care for. Sorry Leslie-Anne!

Janice