[Tyr Zalo Hawk]: 712.Essays.It's Phantasmagorical, Batman!

If you’re looking for a collection of narrative poems about a veritable plethora of subjects then look no further, for you have found your treasure trove with Lewis Carroll’s Phantasmagoria and Other Poems. Our good author has, in the span of less than 36 full pages worth of poetry, given us an array of poems of varied length, meter, and rhyme scheme. In his poems he demonstrates a power over not only English, but Old English as well. He also tells the stories well, with a mix of lovely little images and dialogue that always help his tales along. Lewis Carroll has, in short, got it going on.
It is Carroll’s ability to tell a story, no matter what the subject, that makes this collection what it is. Whether it be a visit from a ghost, a family getting their photographs done, or even a group of five sisters trying to get by in the world, Carroll tells us how something is, giving us a visual like “A vision of nursery-maids; / Tens of thousands passed by me - / All leading children with wooden spades, / And this was by the Sea.” His visuals often work together with the dialogue in each poem between the characters present to move the story along, although, at times, he uses no dialogue at all such as in the poem Tema con Veriazioni. This mixture of dialogue rich and dialogue free poetry is carefully balanced to emphasize Caroll’s ability to tell a story however he wants effectively. His stories are especially driven by his charming sense of rhythm and rhyme. Each and every poem, with the exception of one, contains stanzas that rhyme easily and naturally and, of course, Carroll uses all sorts of rhyme schemes. From AABB “I NEVER loved a dear Gazelle - / NOR ANYTHING THAT COST ME MUCH: / HIGH PRICES PROFIT THOSE WHO SELL, / BUT WHY SHOULD I BE FOND OF SUCH?” To ABAAB “"The Spectres said the place was low / And that you kept bad wine: / So, as a Phantom had to go, / And I was first, of course, you know, / I couldn’t well decline."” Or even AAA, “Baffled, she gave a wolfish bark: / He, aiming blindly in the dark, / With random shaft had pierced the mark.” Each of these is also a perfect example of a natural rhythm that keeps his poems easily readable, a quality of Carroll’s poems that keeps reader’s enthralled in what they’re reading. What’s more is the author’s use of words printed solely in capitol letters, setting them well apart from the others in each stanza. These giant words give the poems a unique unity that I feel Carroll has done extremely effectively. Together, these traits bring a commonality to the assorted poems that would otherwise be absent, besides their mutual author.
Throughout his poems, Carroll mixes the use of common, everyday language, and that of a more fantastical or poetic nature. “There comes a happy pause, for human strength / Will not endure to dance without cessation; / And every one must reach the point at length / Of absolute prostration.” The mix gives off a certain effect throughout the book: letting one feel comfortable reading it while, at the same time, challenging the reader’s mind in a small way. What’s more, is that in two of his poems A Lang Coortin’ and A Sea Dirge he switches to the Old English spelling of words, both for the charming effect it has on the dialogue, and to show, as far as I can tell, that ‘Old’ doesn’t mean ‘professional.’ For example, A Lang Coortin’ is about a man’s failed courtship of a young lady over the course of 30 years, the characters in question speak with a particular accent that is rather noticeable in words like “Doon” (Down) and “Wasna” (Was not). But still Carroll uses Old English to emphasize other accents that might otherwise be missed in words like “Gae,” (Get) and “Ladye” (Lady). This use of language gives Caroll’s poems an edge, a certain flavor that entices his readers to continue onwards on his assorted journeys.
Of the entire collection, only one poem stands out amongst the crowd. Hiawatha’s Photgraphing is an almost entirely unrhymed work, and is one of very few that contains a disclaimer. The poem is written in the rhythmic form of “The song of Hiawatha,” and still Carroll gives his own unique flavor to it with the use of capped words and easy dialogue, but the lack of patternized ending rhyme truly does set it apart from the rest of the book. Yes, there are some rhymes to it, but nothing like what Carroll does in each and every other poem which makes this particular poem seem like a black sheep amongst its brothers, sisters and cousins otherwise gathered.
From tea time to heartbreak, Lewis Carroll has the uncanny ability to construct a narrative poem that can satisfy nearly any and every audience. Rhythm, rhyme, images, dialogue, and even an occasional bit of an older form of our common tongue are all but tools that he eloquently joins to create something magnificent. Phantasmagoria and Other Poems is a collection for readers who want to enjoy what they read, for readers who want their minds to be challenged in different ways, and even for those who just love poetry in general.
Over and Out,
Tyr Hawk

© Tyr Hawkaluk (2004-Present)