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Date:
As a poem, “Jabberwocky” uses a lot of nonsense words, but one can still understand the basic story. Use
the following reading strategies:
Context Clues:
Inferring:
Drawing Conclusions:
Rereading:
Summarizing:
Using words surrounding unknown words to determine their meaning.
Giving a logical guess based on the facts or evidence presented using prior
knowledge to help “read between the lines.”
Using written cues to figure out something that is not directly stated.
Giving the reader more than one chance to make sense of a challenging text.
Guiding the reader to organize and restate info, usually in written form.
** Remember, part of being a good reader is following your intuition.
“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
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'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 a while 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!
Oh 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.
* Read the poem a second time and then turn to the next page.
A. In groups, use your reading strategies to answer the questions below. Make sure you reread the poem!
1. Explain what a “Jabberwock” is. Give specific references from the poem to support your explanation.
(Skills: Drawing Conclusions, Inferring, Context Clues, Rereading).
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2. The Jabberwock “burbled” (line 19). What does it mean to “burble”? How did you arrive at this definition?
(Skills: Rereading, Drawing Conclusions, Inferring, Context Clues).
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3. Briefly summarize the story being told by Lewis Carroll in the poem.
(Skills: Summarizing, Rereading, Drawing Conclusions, Inferring, Context Clues)
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4. What does “Callooh! Callay!” (line 28) mean? How did you arrive at this definition?
(Skills: Rereading, Drawing Conclusions, Inferring, Context Clues).
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