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|  | Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON Vol. 3, No. 2, March 1999 - Articles
United Nations Jabberwocky Lewis Carroll is known to many of us through his classic books about Alice’s adventures in wonderland but little known is his connection to the Untied Nations. One may wonder what Lewis Carroll, who died in 1895, and the United Nations, which came into existence 50 years later, would have in common. The answer lies in "Jabberwocky" the nonsensical poem which Alice finds on one of her many adventures. Now certainly a few eyebrows have been raised, Lewis Carroll, the UN and... Jabberwocky? I know it seems like a stretch but bear with me. In the sixth chapter of Through the Looking Glass Alice asks Humpty Dumpty to help her decipher a poem of which she cannot make any sense. This poem is know as Jabberwocky and has become one of the greatest nonsense poems ever written. It is written using "portmanteau" words which are made by jamming two different words together. For example, in the first line of the poem he talks about the "slithy toves" "toves" being a combination of toads and doves and "slithy" meaning they are both "lithe" and "slimy". Despite the fact that this is a nonsense poem with no apparent meaning many people continue to look for its deeper significance. Jabberwocky Lewis Carroll ’Twas brillig, and the slity 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 sward 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. This begs the question, how does all this relate to the UN? The answer lies in the recent discovery by Geoffrey Pearson, Vice-President of UNA-Canada, who uncovered a poem entitled United Nations Jabberwocky. This poem is a variation of the original "Jabberwocky" but with a United Nations theme. It was written by an unknown author around 1945 when the United Nations was first formed. Like the original, it is filled with apparent "portmanteau" words that add to its similar nonsensical quality. Byrnes, trygve, evatt, trieste, and mukden, are but a few of many seemingly meaningless words found throughout the poem. What, if any, is the meaning and significance of these words? Are they just insignificant components necessary to create another nonsense poem in the stylings of Lewis Carroll? Or are they keys to discovering the poem’s deeper and yet undiscovered meaning? These are a few questions you may enjoy researching yourself in an attempt to uncover the purpose of this unknown author’s composition. The meanings for a number of the words have been provided at the bottom of the page, enjoy! United Nations Jabberwocky Author unknown
’Twas greenwich, and the gromyko Did byrnes and trygve in the lie: All evatt was the vandenberg, And the thomas connally.
"Beware the Molotov, my son! Avoid its clauses if you can! Beware the yalta bird and shun The red azerbaijan!"
He took his trieste sword in hand: Long time the mukden foe he sought— So rested he by the nuclear tree, And fissioned there in thought.
And, as in fulton thought he stood, The Molotov, with ears aflame, Came brettoning through the plenary wood, And vetoed as it came!
Offside! No score! And more and more His iran blade went snicker-snack! He clared his throat, and sent a note Requesting an answer back.
"And hast thou dunn the Molotov? Come to my arms, my bullitt boy! Oh atherton! Oh culbertson!" He murphied in his joy.
’Twas greenwich, and the gromyko Did byrnes and trygve in the lie: All evatt was the vandenberg, And the thomas connally. |
