#AtoZChallenge Letter C

The theme of my challenge is poetry and books inspired by art and/or art inspired by literature.

 is for Lewis Carroll who wrote Alice in Wonderland.

He inspired Sir John Tenniel, the political cartoonist of Punch magazine to illustrate the first Alice and also Through the Looking-Glass, creating 92 images altogether.  The pictures were engraved onto blocks of deal, from which electrotype copies were made for printing.

His love of the grotesque is particularly evident in my daughter’s favourite poem, The Jabberwocky.

’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.

Statue of Alice through the Looking Glass in Guildford, Surrey where Lewis Carroll died

Link to the list of other A to Z Challengers