Lewis Carroll’s outlandish stories have continued to permeate popular culture in many forms — most notably Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. This nonsense poem from the latter, "The Jabberwocky", seeks to mock the heroic narrative poetry of English literature, and in this spirit of caricature, Sam Pottle specifically notes the seriousness with which this playful, heroic narrative parody is to be performed. 

’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 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

— Lewis Carroll