CONTENT
PARTNERS
Today In History
Lewis Carroll was born in 1832.
If—and the thing is wildly possible—the charge of writing nonsense were ever brought against the author of this brief but instructive poem, it would be based, I feel convinced, on the line "Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes."
–Lewis Carroll, from Fit the Second of The Hunting of the Snark.
Victorian author Lewis Carroll, best-known for his story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in Cheshire, England. The third child of eleven, Carroll’s talent for writing manifested early—he actually produced a homemade magazine for his family, in which he wrote poems, puzzles and word-plays.
After studying as a student at Oxford, Carroll stayed on to teach as a professor of Mathematics, remaining at Oxford until his death in 1898. In addition to writing, Carroll in his early years pursued photography, and one of his favorite models was the daughter of the Dean of his college at Oxford, a young girl named Alice Liddell. Later, while on a social visit to the Liddell’s home, Carroll made up a tale for Alice and her friends, a tale which so delighted Alice (who was the protagonist of the made-up story) that she insisted he write it down. He did so, and thus produced Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland.
In the tale, Alice follows a white rabbit (who is very late for a tea party) down a rabbit hole. Once in Wonderland, Alice has a series of strange encounters with characters such as the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. Carroll followed this tale with a sequel called Through the Looking-Glass, and both stories quickly became classics, enjoyed by both children and adults.
Carroll is known for his word-play and fantastical imagery, and nonsense verse such as The Hunting of the Snark and his poem about the “Jabberwock” are today considered among the finest examples of poetic word-play.
EDSITEment
A Trip to Wonderland: The Nursery 'Alice' (K-2) explores elements of wonder, distortion, fantasy and whimsy in The Nursery "Alice," Lewis Carroll's adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Students listen to the opening chapters of the story and view Sir John Tenniel's illustrations from the original edition. Using images of "big" and "small" from Alice's experiences, students develop these concepts in original drawings, and then they compare Carroll's animals with creatures from other children's stories. Students use computer software to craft images of their own fantasy creatures.
Childhood Through the Looking-Glass (6-8) explores the vision of childhood created by Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland, as well as by other authors of children's literature. Students explore photographs, illustrations and text description to explore the interplay of image and text as they compare authors' depictions of childhood with their experiences as children.
ReadWriteThink
Carroll is known for his use of poetic elements to create nonsense verse and poetic word-play. Compiling Poetry Collections and a Working Definition of Poetry (3-5) introduces poetry forms and poetic elements. Students explore examples in a variety of poetic styles, learning in the process that poetic form, while not a requirement, can serve as a valuable tool for the poet.
Several poems by Lewis Carroll are among the classic poems suggested for use in Using Classic Poetry to Challenge and Enrich Students' Writing (6-8). In the lesson, students read, analyze and discuss classic works of poetry.
Date:
Fri, 01/27/2012
