An Analysis Of Nonsense Literature

Nonsense literature is simultaneously the most and least interesting type of literature to analyze, since it is so open to interpretation. It functions as something that lends itself to a variety of meanings, but also, at the same time, none at all, which makes nonsense literature both meaningful and meaningless—though, many would say, there must be some purpose behind writing and publishing a piece that seems purposeless. The Hunting of the Snark, an intriguing piece of nonsense literature by Lewis Carroll, is a satirical poem criticizing the nonsensical quest to find meaning in life.
Carroll’s meter and form are befitting to his purpose: his use of anapestic tetrameter creates a comedic, subtle mocking tone to the poem aids in parodying classic epics, where characters are always on grand quests for grand purposes to give meaning to their life. In most epics, the protagonists go on journeys in order to fulfill a noble goal or attain some fantastical achievement, usually encountering some sort of mythical creature along the way. The Hunting of the Snark has most of these aspects, only in a much more comedic manner, as there is a ragtag, unbalanced crew on a quest to find something—the mythical, unknown creature called the Snark. It is difficult to take the crew seriously, as the rhyming makes the poem seem childish and carefree and the anapestic tetrameter that happens on and off in the poem reflect the ridiculousness of their quest. Even when the Baker meets his ominous end “In the midst of his laughter and glee,” it is hard to feel the weight of the implications of death or worse implied in the lines because the Baker is described as being in the midst of glee, a word that implies a childish state of elation. Carroll is poking fun at those who are trying to find meaning in their lives by ending the quest with an empty epiphany. He states that “For Snark was a Boojum, you see” with such certainty that it makes the reader question themselves as to what the