| Poem | Parody Of | Function | |------|-----------|----------| | “Jabberwocky” | Old English epic/ballad | Introduces nonsense vocabulary; challenges literal meaning. | | “The Walrus and the Carpenter” | Moralistic children’s verse | Satirizes hypocrisy and exploitation. | | “Humpty Dumpty’s Song” | Traditional nursery rhyme | Deconstructs meaning-making. | | “Haddocks’ Eyes” (White Knight’s song) | “Resolution and Independence” by Wordsworth | Parodies sentimental poetry and repetition. |
To get anywhere, Alice must walk away from her destination. To read a poem, she must hold it up to the mirror. Time runs backwards—the White Queen remembers events before they happen, and the King’s messengers are imprisoned before their trial. This inversion isn’t just whimsy; it is rooted in the 19th-century fascination with non-Euclidean geometry and the physics of reflection. Alice Through the Looking Glass
While the first book followed the chaotic, fluid nature of a dream, the second is built on the rigid yet paradoxical structure of a chess game. The Premise: Stepping Through the Mirror | Poem | Parody Of | Function |
Widely considered a caricature of Carroll himself—clumsy, kind-hearted, and constantly inventing useless gadgets. The Legacy of the "Nonsense" Genre | | “Haddocks’ Eyes” (White Knight’s song) |
The keyword Alice Through the Looking Glass has seen a massive resurgence in the 21st century, largely due to film adaptations.
Everything is inverted: time, causality, manners, and physics. To move toward something, you walk away from it. The Red Queen explains that “it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” This satirizes Victorian progress and the illusion of forward motion.
Because the book follows the rules of chess, Alice’s path is largely predetermined. Her movements are restricted by the squares she occupies. This invites readers to question how much control we truly have over our "moves" in life versus the societal or natural rules that govern us. Language and Logic