Introduction, "Jabberwocky"

Welcome to the class blog of "Stop Making Sense: Understanding 'Meaningless' Poetry," taught in the Department of Comparative Literature at Emory University. My name is Michael Hessel-Mial and I will be your instructor. My interests are wide ranging (experimental poetry, love poetry, cybernetics and systems theory, social media, environmentalism) but this course represents a very special and close interest of mine - the play of meaning/meaninglessness in poetry. Our class will be an adventure through some very strange texts and I can't wait to get started.

This blog will be a regular part of our class experience - part of your participation grade requires regular posts, and replies to the posts of your peers. Further posts with additional content, reflection and conversation only add to the success of the class, so please be as active as you like.

Just to lay some ground rules:

I am not too worried about this, but I want to be up front in saying that as the administrator of this blog, I reserve the right to take down any content that is inappropriate or hurtful. If I see any posts that directly or indirectly silence another student's right to speak, I will step in. For our class to have the best dialogue, we will not only learn to how best to express our ideas, but also how best to listen to those of others. You're adults, so be respectful!

Now, the first piece of bonus content! We will return to this poem after reading Alice's Adventures In Wonderland:

"Jabberwocky" - 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.