Many authors play with language and words by using nonstandard language or inventing new words. Have you read the book or seen the movie Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? Lewis Carroll is well known for his language play. For example, Alice says things like “curiosier and curiosier,” adding to the weirdness and oddity of Wonderland.
Read the following poem from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. What do you notice about the poem's style and language usage?
Jabberwocky
by 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.
What did you notice about the language in this poem? Were you able to understand what Carroll was saying? Use the questions in the following table to help you analyze the poem and Carroll’s language use.
| What do you notice about the language in the poem? | Carroll uses nonsense and made-up words. |
| What tone or mood is created through the language use? | Lewis Carroll’s unconventional writing style creates both a heroic and a playful mood. A hero sets off to battle a dangerous foe, but the made-up language gives the adventure a whimsical tone. |
| What message is Carroll trying to communicate to the reader? How does his language use help convey this message? | Carroll is trying to stress the importance of not taking life too seriously. He is also communicating to the reader that good will win out in the end. The reader is able to determine the meaning of the poem by playing around with the language. |
How did you do? Were you able to see how Carroll plays with language to convey his message to the reader? How would his poem have been different if he had used conventional language? The poem wouldn’t have had the same playful, whimsical feel.
Question
Describe how authors can use language in unconventional ways to enhance their writing.
Answer
Authors can use figurative language or nonsense/made-up words to create any tone they wish. In addition, playing with language allows a writer to paint a mental picture for the reader.
