Humanities Homework Help

Purpose: Practice analyzing a poem through a semiotic lens by interpreting aural signs. This is a more creative post, and it may be a little confusing at first glance, so follow the instructions carefully. It’s okay if your new definitions take away the rhyme in the poem, it just needs to make as much sense as possible.

This one may require more time just because it is more of a creative post, so be sure to pace yourself and allow adequate time to complete the exercises and respond to peers. Try to have some fun with this one!

Task:

I. For each of the nonsense words or portmanteaus found in the last two stanzas of “Jabberwocky” below, identify the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, or adverb) and provide a brief (1-2 word) definition of each. Use your newfound knowledge of semiotics, inference, and connotation, as well as the context and connotation clues within the poem.

“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.

1. Jabberwock
2. Beamish
3. Frabjous
4. Brillig
5. Slithy
6. Toves
7. Gyre
8. Gimble
9. Wabe
10. Mimsy
11. Borogroves
12. Mome
13. Raths
14. Outgrabe

II. Then, REWRITE the two stanzas and substitute your definitions in place of the nonsense words or portmanteaus. Do they make sense to you? If not, look at your definitions and see what you can tweak until they do make sense (or at least more sense).

Post your rewritten stanzas AND your list of word definitions and parts of speech, and then respond to at least two of your peers regarding the similarities and differences of your definitions, and on the overall effect of their resulting poem.

These steps may make the exercise go a little smoother:

1. Read the entire poem from your content.
2. Read the excerpt given in the example.
3. Read the directions.
4. Re-read the poem excerpt.
5. Look at the words before and after the “nonsense” word to help give you an idea of what part of speech the nonsense words may be, and how you could define them.
6. Complete the activity.

Example:

Jabberwock excerpt:

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.

Nonsense words & Definitions:

1. Uffish – adjective, deep
2. Whiffling – verb, crashing
3. Tulgey – adjective, overgrown
4. Burbled – verb, roared
5. Vorpal – adjective, trusty
6. Galumphing – adverb, triumphantly

Rewrite:

And, as in deep thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came crashing through the overgrown wood,
And roared as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The trusty blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went triumphantly back.

Here are some parts of speech reminders if you’re struggling to classify the words.
Adjectives and Adverbs:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/adjective_or_adverb/index.html
Adjective or Adverb:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/how_to_use_adjectives_and_adverbs/adje
ctive_or_adverb.html
Nouns:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/count_and_noncount_nouns/index.html
https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/nouns.htm
Verbs
https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/verbs.htm