Hunting the Meaning of 'the Snark'

poem of its own design, beyond analysis. Often poets and artists say that there is little depth in their work and/or that their work should be appreciated for what it is and not what it means. “The Hunting of the Snark” is an effort to thwart those who might try to give it social meaning and purpose. Holquist quotes Carroll as saying that his books make no attempt to teach something, religious or otherwise (109). It exists for the enjoyment of the nonsense. Its humor is its purpose, if anything. But more likely it is something self-contained and self-defined. The snark is not a metaphor for some aspect of life. A snark is a snark -- nothing more.

Works Cited

Holquist, Michael. What is a Boojum?: Nonsense and Modernism. Yale French Studies. 96 (1999): 100-17.

Pennarun, Avery. Literary Humor: Ha versus Blah. Apenwarr. 25 March 2001.

Christian R. Bonawandt is a senior at C.W. Post college on Long Island and a contributing editor to Suite 101. You can read his articles on wrestling at http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/wres...

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