I first read the poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll last year in the colleges Poetry and Poetics class. The language in the poem seemed very interesting to me, as many of the words were nonsense, but nonetheless conjured a sort of meaning. None of the nonsense words actually mean anything, but through context and sound clues, we can imagine what the words are describing. I didn’t think much more of it until I read the poem again in “Through the Looking Glass”, and later when Humpty Dumpty explained the meaning of some of the words to Alice. All the words had meanings that had a tenuous grasp on reality. For example, “slithy” meaning “lithe and slimy,” and “mimsy” meaning “flimsy and miserable” are made by combining existing words. Others, such as “brillig” and “gyre” are based, loosely, on the real words “broil” and “gyroscope.” Although silly, this kind of made sense in describing how these words could have meaning to the reader, even before Humpty Dumpty explains them. I found this very interesting.
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I completely agree with your idea that the Jabberwocky makes sense based on context clues and, in the words of Professor Serrano, “Nonsense is never nonsense.” To me, the poem’s meaning rests entirely on the reader’s perception and interpretation of the words. That’s why I was shocked to read Humpty Dumpty’s translation of the nonsensical words in the poem–his definition of “brillig,” “toves,” and “borogrove” completely differed from my original interpretations. The reader’s original perception of the poem and the actual meaning behind “The Jabberwocky” serves as a fun play on the concept of different realities. Each person interprets the meaning of the nonsensical words of the poem based on their own perceived sense of knowledge and logic. Carroll provides a foil to our sense of reality when he introduces the true interpretation of the poem. Nonsense words also provide a great demonstration of Post-Structuralist theory–because the relationship between the signified and the signifier is not only arbitrary, but nonexistent, the reader can create their own linguistic code, which adds to their perception of setting and meaning within the poem.