Jabberwocky Remixed
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#posts #poetryInspired by Poetry as Fuck and Imaginary Advice, I spent a morning remixing* Jabberwocky* by Lewis Carrol. Because...? I'm not really sure why. Anyway, here are the results. In this first one, I replaced words with common names. Weirdly, it still makes a sort of sense:
Jerry-Walt
`Twas Bradley, and the Susan Todd's
Did Gary and Genevieve in the Wade:
All Maureen were the Bernie-Gregs,
And the Mae Rolfs out-Gabe.
"Beware the Jerry-Walt, my son!
The Jakes that bite, the Calum that catch!
Beware the John-John bird, and shun
The Francesca Barnaby-Sam!"
He took his Vinny sword in hand:
Long time the Mackenzie foe he sought --
So rested he by the TomTom tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in Ulrich thought he stood,
The Jerry-Walt, with eyes of Fay,
Came Whitney through the Tammy wood,
And Barry-ed as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The Vinny blade went Simon-Sid!
He left it dead, and with its Hugh
He went Gareth-ing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jerry-Walt?
Come to my arms, my Bethany boy!
O Frederica day! Carlos! Casey!'
He Charlotte-d in his joy.
`Twas Bradley, and the Susan Todd's
Did Gary and Genevieve in the Wade:
All Maureen were the Bernie-Gregs,
And the Mae Rolfs out-Gabe.
In the second, I translated the poem into Arabic and then back into English:
Jabrok
`Tuas Preleg, and Tuthili Slythi
Are Gir and Gamble in Webby:
All Mimsey Boroughves,
And Momi Rathas Uttragabi.
"Beware of Jabrok, my son!
Jaws that bite, claws that catch!
Beware the birds of Gobjub, and Shawn
And Banderzenach is reckless!"
His sword of Forbal was at hand:
Manxum's long-sought enemy -
So rested is by Tomtom tree,
I stood a moment in thought.
As in Ovech I think he stood up,
And Jabrok, with the eyes of the flame,
Nfling came through the Tulji wood,
And Bourbard also came!
One, two! One, two! It is through and through
I went for the Sniper-Forbal blade - a snack!
Leave him dead, and with his head
He went back.
"Did you kill Jabrok?
Come to my arm, boy boy!
O Frabgos today! Calo! Calai!"
So he rose in joy.
`Tuas Preleg, and Tuthili Slythi
Gir and Gimpel in Webby.
All Mimsey Boroughves,
And Momi Rathas Uttragabi.
Finally, like I have done previously with my own poems, I used a Markov chain generator to break the poem and re-edited it into a new, grimmer version:
Borogove
Borogove, (from the slithy manxome)
Came to frumious Jubjub,
took a looking-glass to his eyes
and saw all were in thought.
"The catch! Catch! Outgrabe"
burbled Borogove in flame.
"Beware! The toves do gyre!
Raths are the mimsy! Beware!"
The vorpal brillig came whiffling
through the back blade, with eyes
in hand. Borogove was left dead,
resting by the tulgey wood.
Alice found him there,
jaws slithy and his gimble slain.
"Callooh! Callooh! Callooh! Callooh!
My mome boy! My bandersnatch bird!
Long time she uffish stood
in burbled thought. Snicker-snack
went the callay claws.
Snicker-snack.
That's it for now. I might do more in the future. I hope you enjoyed them.
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