full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Lewis Carroll: "Jabberwocky" One of literature's best bits of nonsense

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Today we have a frabjous treat for you. This poem is full of sglmineey nasoenincsl words that somehow manage to make sense. radey to see if you can follow along? Without further ado, we present: "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

’Twas bililrg, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome rhats outgrabe.

“Beware the jbeorwcbak, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vraopl sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree And stood awhile in thought.

Open Cloze


Today we have a frabjous treat for you. This poem is full of _________ ___________ words that somehow manage to make sense. _____ to see if you can follow along? Without further ado, we present: "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

’Twas _______, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome _____ outgrabe.

“Beware the __________, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his ______ sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree And stood awhile in thought.

Solution


  1. brillig
  2. raths
  3. nonsensical
  4. ready
  5. vorpal
  6. seemingly
  7. jabberwock

Original Text


Today we have a frabjous treat for you. This poem is full of seemingly nonsensical words that somehow manage to make sense. Ready to see if you can follow along? Without further ado, we present: "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

’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.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
slithy toves 2
mome raths 2
raths outgrabe 2

ngrams of length 3

collocation frequency
mome raths outgrabe 2

Important Words


  1. ado
  2. awhile
  3. beware
  4. bird
  5. bite
  6. borogoves
  7. brillig
  8. carroll
  9. claws
  10. foe
  11. follow
  12. frabjous
  13. frumious
  14. full
  15. gimble
  16. gyre
  17. jabberwock
  18. jaws
  19. jubjub
  20. lewis
  21. long
  22. manage
  23. manxome
  24. mimsy
  25. mome
  26. nonsensical
  27. outgrabe
  28. poem
  29. raths
  30. ready
  31. rested
  32. seemingly
  33. sense
  34. shun
  35. slithy
  36. stood
  37. sword
  38. thought
  39. time
  40. today
  41. toves
  42. treat
  43. tree
  44. tumtum
  45. vorpal
  46. words