It was 150 years ago today that Lewis Carroll began to write 'The Hunting of the Snark'. As Goetz Kluge explains at his 'The Hunting of the Snark' blog, on 18 July 1874, 'the very last line of Carroll's Snark tragicomedy came into his head while out on a walk at Guildford: "For the Snark was a Boojum, you see." ' Then 'the first stanza was composed on 22 July 1874'. This became the last stanza of the poem:
This upside-down way of writing, last verse first, is entirely proper for the poem. In October 1875, Goetz Kluge adds, Carroll gave the work its title, and on 1 April 1876 the book was published. Sub-titled 'An Agony in Eight Fits', it was first illustrated by Henry Holiday and there have been numerous other illustrated interpretations of it since, notably by Mervyn Peake and Ralph Steadman.
The poem may be seen as the apogee of Carroll's nonsense writing, a work which achieves a perfect balance of absurd humour and yet elusive, wistful melancholy. It feels as if it might be an allegory of - something - yet it is all the better for being entirely frolicsome and free of any distinct meaning.
In his wonderfully tongue-in-cheek Preface, Carroll explains that if, as might be 'wildly possible', he is accused of writing nonsense in 'this brief but instructive poem', he would defend himself against 'this painful possibility', not by an indignant appeal to his other writings as 'proof that I am incapable of such a deed', nor by reference to the poem's evident 'strong moral purpose' or 'arithmetical principles' or 'noble teachings in Natural History', but simply by explaining what happened. This explication invokes the Jabberwock and Humpty-Dumpty, so naturally is entirely lucid and conclusive.
But those who wish to explore the poem further may like to consult The Institute of Snarkology, which publishes a twice-yearly printed journal, The Snarkologist, whose volumes, like the poem, are arranged in 'Fits'. It also organises Snarkological events, and offers Snarkological links and other resources. For The Hunting of the Snark is a restless and eternal quest.
(Mark Valentine)
Image: Burnside Rare Books
What a great commentary to wake up to and read on a Monday morning. I feel as though I just reentered the “Tulgey wood” and will spend my day resting under the “Tumtum Tree.” Thanks Mark!
ReplyDeleteTangential to the subject, but each century, responding to the previous, is first to interpret it. Now that the 20th century is put to bed, there has been an interesting attempt among historians and scholars to look with fresh eyes at the 19th. I'm curious what literary reputations will wax or wane because of it.
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