The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony, in Eight Fits, Issue 26 The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits) is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll in 1874, when he was 42 years old. It describes "with infinite humor the impossible voyage of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature". The poem borrows occasionally from Carroll's short poem Jabberwocky in Through the Looking-Glass (especially the poem's creatures and portmanteau words), but it is a stand-alone work, first published in 1876 by Macmillan. |
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Common terms and phrases
ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND ALICE'S ADVENTURES awkward to mention Baker BAKER'S TALE Bandersnatch BANKER'S FATE Barrister BARRISTER'S DREAM Beaver BEAVER'S LESSON Bellman cried Bellman declared Bellman looked Bellman remarked BELLMAN'S SPEECH Billiard-marker Boojum Boots bowsprit got mixed BREAD STREET HILL Butcher Captain charmed cheque cloth coat crew Crown 8vo dear uncle delight desperate bird Dunce ENGLISH exactly excessively awkward forks and hope friends frumious furious gaze gilt edges groan happened helmsman hunting the Snark Illustrations by TENNIEL Jubjub Judge Jury knew lace LOOKING-GLASS maker of Bonnets Monday to Friday never NORTH POLE once pm Saturday poem pronounced pursued railway-share roused rudder sometimes sailed many weeks seek ship shriek sigh silence skip slithy smiles and soap softly and suddenly sought sound speak striking a light suddenly vanish SWAINSC tears TENNIEL'S thimbles thing threatened three pair tingled his bell tone toves turn utter word
Popular passages
Page 79 - They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care; They pursued it with forks and hope; They threatened its life with a railway-share; They charmed it with smiles and soap.
Page 3 - JusT the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried, As he landed his crew with care; Supporting each man on the top of the tide By a finger entwined in his hair. "Just the place for a Snark!
Page 16 - Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes! But we've got our brave Captain to thank" (So the crew would protest) "that he's bought us the best — A perfect and absolute blank!
Page 19 - But the principal failing occurred in the sailing, And the Bellman, perplexed and distressed, Said he had hoped, at least, when the wind blew due East, That the ship would not travel due West!
Page 21 - We have sailed many months, we have sailed many weeks, (Four weeks to the month you may mark), But never as yet ( 'tis your Captain who speaks) Have we caught the least glimpse of a Snark! "We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days, (Seven days to the week I allow), But a Snark, on the which we might lovingly gaze We have never beheld till now!
Page 18 - And that was to tingle his bell. He was thoughtful and grave — but the orders he gave Were enough to bewilder a crew. When he cried "Steer to starboard, but keep her head larboard!
Page 15 - He had bought a large map representing the sea, Without the least vestige of land: And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be A map they could all understand. 'What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators, Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?
Page 73 - He was black in the face, and they scarcely could trace The least likeness to what he had been: While so great was his fright that his waistcoat turned white — A wonderful thing to be seen! To the horror of all who were present that day, He uprose in full evening dress, And with senseless grimaces endeavoured to say What his tongue could no longer express. Down he sank in a chair — ran his hands through his hair — And chanted in mimsiest tones Words whose utter inanity proved his insanity,...
Page 7 - While, for those who preferred a more forcible word, He had different names from these: His intimate friends called him 'Candle-ends,' And his enemies 'Toasted-cheese.' 'His form is ungainly - his intellect small -' (So the Bellman would often remark) 'But his courage is perfect! And that, after all, Is the thing that one needs with a Snark.
Page 29 - A dear uncle of mine (after whom I was named) Remarked, when I bade him farewell—