This will be the last post for my blog about Jabberwocky! I hope you have enjoyed reading the numerous random connections I have made to the poem. Thank you for a great quarter Professor Kristin!
(As a side note: The background of the blog is actually an Animal Collective album cover that is an optical allusion. The image should be moving.)
The purpose of this post is simply for pleasure and to take a break from the heavy analysis of the previous blogs below. Let's begin the discussion with exploring the true reason for the abstract nature of Lewis Carroll's poems and stories. Then we shall fast forward a few decades and talk about psychedelic music.
The abstract nature of Alice in Wonderland and "The Jabberwocky" is the result of Lewis Carroll's experimentation of Magic Mushrooms, a hallucinogenic drug. Disney adapted to the trippy nature of the story by incorporating mushrooms throughout many scenes of the movie.
The Beatles
The musicians of the 1960s were heavily influenced by mushrooms. The lyrics of the popular Beatles' song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" basically is an acronym for LSD. An interesting connection to the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland is that the movie was released in the 1950s, about the same time The Beatles and many other bands became popular.
Jimi Hendrix
Several other musicians including Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd used drugs. Their psychedelic tunes is a result of their minds on drugs.
Pink Floyd: http://www.morethings.com/music/pink_floyd/pink-floyd-108.jpg
Jimi Hendrix- Purple Haze: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lVU2NRCIQk
The Beatles- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7F2X3rSSCU
Pink Floyd- Piper at the Gates of Dawn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G3TS-nqhyk
This animated cartoon version of the classical story depicts the characters in a playful, colorful manner that appeals to young children. The Chesire cat recites parts of "The Jabberwocky" with a cheerful tone. The movie incorporates the poem into the actual dialogue between the Chesire cat and Alice. The random moments where the cat disconnects his head from his body or where parts of his body randomly disappear seems mind-boogling. The vibrant colors of the setting and the characters is evident of the 1960s psychedelic movement. This movie has often been linked to the state of mind of an individual on LSD or how a pot head views the world when he/she is high.
Alice in Wonderland (1983) On the contrary of the cartoon version, the recital of "The Jabberowocky" in this film is serious and slightly creepy. The two versions of the movie convey different emotions from the audience. One main difference is that Alice recites the poem in the 1983 version, while the Chesire cat recites the poem in the 1951 version. The clip begins with the camera giving a full view shot of Alice sitting in a royal, red throne. The camera continues to zoom into her face throughout the entire scene. Since Alice speaks directly to the audience, she breaks the fourth wall that exists between the audience and the actor. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Unlike the above clips, the Mad Hatter recites the lines of Jabberwocky with a mini version of Alice on his shoulder. He is walking through a dark and eerie forest, which mirrors the setting of "The Jabberwocky." The music in the background creates a suspenseful and dramatic environment.
The different versions of "The Jabberwocky" recital in Alice in Wonderland most definitely correspond to the time period the movie was made in.
The artist uses an intense array of colors to create a moving picture of the Jabberowocky and the young man engaging in battle. Greens, reds, browns, and yellows compose the entire body of the Jabberwocky. The woodsy scenery is similar to the setting of the poem. Interestingly, the main focal point of the painting is on the Jabberwocky. The Jabberwocky occupies about sixty percent of the painting suggesting the importance of the creature. On the other other hand. the demeanor of the young man seems calm and collected, even though he is in the midst of a battle. His body language suggests he is bold and courageous.
The overall theme of "The Jabberwocky" is meant to be nonsensical to leave the readers wondering what is going on in the poem. The video of the song, "Peacebone" by Animal Collective reminds me of the randomness of the poem.
The song begins with a collection of quick snapshots depicting trees, the sky, a lake, and an individual with a giant head mask. The setting of the video reminds me of the woodsy nature of "The Jabberwocky." Also, I believe the scary monster with sharp teeth and tentacle like hands resembles the abstract nature of "The Jabberwocky."
Figure 1
When the girlfriend and the creature enter the carnival, I was immediately reminded of the 1960s psychedelic movement. The flashing lights, bright rainbow colors, and fast movement is most likely how the hippies see the world when they are on acid (LSD).
Figure 2: David Portner (Middle)
Animal Collective Band
Interestingly, the lead singer of the band, Davis Portner's voice fits perfectly with the lyrics of the song. His voice has a creepy undertone, yet it is upbeat.
The following song lyric: "I'll bet the monster was happy when they made him a maze" best resembles the Jabberwocky parading through the forest.
The overall tone of the video is creepy and monstrous. While, the tone of "The Jabberwocky" feels very whimsical and out of this world.
Here are the Lyrics to "Peacebone:"
A peacebone got found in the dinosaur wing I've been jumping all over but my views are slowly shrinking I was a Jugular vein in a juggler's girl I was supposedly leaking the most interesting colors While half of my fingers are dipped in the sand You progress in letters, but you're used to cooking broccoli The other side of take out is mildew on rice And an obsession with the past is like a dead fly Only a few things are related to the "old times" Then we did believe in magic and we did die It's not my words that you should follow, it's your insides You're just an inside Adjust your insides You're just an inside
I'll bet the monster was happy when they made him a maze 'Cause he don't understand intentions, he just looks at a face I'll bet the bubbles exploded to tickle the bath All the birds are very curious, all the fish are at the surface With half of me waiting for myself to get calm I'm like a pelican at red tide, I'm a corpse, I'm not a fisherman And a blowout does not mean I will have a good night 'Cause an obsession with the past is like a dead fly And just a few things are related to the "old times" When we did believe in magic and we did die It's not my words that you should follow, it's your insides You're just an inside Adjust your insides You're just an inside
I start in a hose and I'll end in a yard When I feel like I'm stealing I can't keep myself from hearing God Only the taste of your cooking can make me bow on the ground It was the clouds that carved the mountains, it was the mountains that made the kids scream Oh well she bore all her parts but she never was found You think "I'll carve a path through New York and be an artist", but are you anything? Then you find out you can't ask a baby to cry And an obsession with the past is like a dead fly And just a few things are related to the "old times" When we did believe in magic and we did die It's not my words that you should follow, it's your insides You're just an inside Adjust your insides You're just an inside Citations
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvGHQHiY70 Lyrics: http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858595501/ (I do not own any rights to this song) Figure 1: http://www.designdazzling.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/21-land-of-psychedelic.jpg Figure 2: http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/28703999/Animal+Collective.jpg
I hope your Monday went well and the weekend has left you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the work ahead of you!
Now I realize that reading and analyzing poetry can be quite tedious, so here is a comic strip to provide a different viewpoint of the poem.
The first four boxes of the comic strip describe the first stanza of "The Jabberwocky." The hand gestures of the cartoon alligator express the different emotions conveyed within each line of poetry. The box in the upper left hand corner shows an alligator reflecting on a past event. The alligator introduces the poem with a pondering and sweet demeanor.
The second box can be interpreted in two manners: 1) the alligator is puzzled about what is going on in the poem or 2) his face reflects the questioning nature of the line.
The third box depicts a drunk and confused alligator. The stance of the alligator is quite interesting because it reflects the flimsy and miserable nature of the burogaves.
The fourth box depicts the alligator singing loudly to a newly introduced character: the unidentifiable brown creature (I do not have the slightest clue what kind of animal that is). The alligator is singing because "the mom raths outgrabe." Outgrabe "is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle" (http://varatek.com/scott/jaber_defs.html). The fourth box does an excellent job of capturing the true essence of the last line of the stanza.
The basic plot of the last three boxes is the alligator trying to scare his children and make the jabberwocky seem like a horrible monster. However, reading between the comic lines I feel as if the papa alligator is merely frightening is own children to avoid playing a game of sixpence.
The comic strip provides a useful interpretation of the first stanza of the poem. The alligator has a different emotion and demeanor in each box to reflect the changing tone of each line of the stanza.
The abstract nature of Alice in Wonderland and "The Jabberwocky" is the result of Lewis Carroll's experimentation of Magic Mushrooms, a hallucinogenic drug. Disney adapted to the trippy nature of the story by incorporating mushrooms throughout many scenes of the movie. 
The artist uses an intense array of colors to create a moving picture of the Jabberowocky and the young man engaging in battle. Greens, reds, browns, and yellows compose the entire body of the Jabberwocky. The woodsy scenery is similar to the setting of the poem. Interestingly, the main focal point of the painting is on the Jabberwocky. The Jabberwocky occupies about sixty percent of the painting suggesting the importance of the creature. On the other other hand. the demeanor of the young man seems calm and collected, even though he is in the midst of a battle. His body language suggests he is bold and courageous. 
