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"The Hunting of the Snark": Nonsense Literature At Its Best

© Christian Bonawandt

When one is studying nonsense literature, it is important to understand the difference between gibberish and quintessential nonsense. Gibberish lacks some or all coherence, tells little or no story, has nothing important to say and leaves the reader with nothing. That is to say, gibberish has no meat, no substance. Nonsense literature has coherence, though is it not always obvious. Good nonsense tells a story and has a purpose, whether that purpose is social commentary or to prove a point about traditional literature. This is what makes The Hunting of the Snark the ideal piece of nonsense. It is coherent, tells a dramatic story -- or at least a mock version of one -- and even has character developments. But the finest aspect of the poem is its ability to seem so foreign at first glance and yet have a solid, interpretable system.

Other works of nonsense do not come as close to being pure nonsense as The Hunting of the Snark. Even other pieces by Carroll are not as nonsensical; they are not as foreign or odd.

Though it would be foolish to say that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is not odd, it should be noted that is not as odd. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is certainly strange, but it does not remove itself completely from the usual systems of understanding. There are few made-up words and everything Alice encounters in Wonderland is familiar to the reader, though often distorted. The queen and her servants are all playing cards and the white rabbit is, well, a rabbit. The plot, events, conflicts, and some of the dialogue are silly and nonsensical, but that is all. Even Through the Looking Glass is dominated by characters and creatures parallel to the reader's world. It is more nonsensical than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but it still does not match The Hunting of the Snark. Even plays like The Pirates of Penzance and The Importance of Being Earnest, which have exceedingly silly plots and character reversals, are less nonsensical. The nonsense is not as pure as in Carroll's poem.

This is because the best nonsense seems at first glance to be gibberish. It is only upon close examination that it appears to be literature. Though it is not very apparent, The Hunting of the Snark tells a story. The story takes the form of a quest; the Bellman and his crew are hunting a snark. Their time is limited; they only have until dark, so there is an element of suspense present in the story. Another element of suspense comes in fit seven when the Banker is attacked by the Bandersnatch.

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