In recent times, the word “Snarky” has become a very
overused adjective. Some folks have stopped
using the word, opting to just verbally attack those whose sarcastic remarks they
find to be offensive. But it’s still a pretty good word to describe much of the
tit-for-tat social media commentary one observes.
Interestingly, once upon a time the word “snark” was
used in a different context, and with a meaning that remains open to debate. That mad genius 19th century author
of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, used the word in one of his less well-known
works, “The Hunting of The Snark”. “The Hunting
of The Snark”, published in 1876, is a rather long narrative poem describing the
voyage of an odd crew of characters who seek the elusive Snark.
The Snark is indeed a strange creature. It tastes “meager
and hollow, but crisp”. It sleeps late,
sometimes eating breakfast at 5 pm. The
Snark is slow to “take a jest” and always looks “grave at a pun”. The creature enjoys a good bath and is full
of “ambition”. Some have feathers and
bite, others have whiskers and scratch.
But beware, some Snarks are Boojums. And if the Snark turns out to be a
Boojum, the hunter who finds it will vanish, ceasing to exist
The crew may also encounter a Jubjub. The Jubjub is a
desperate bird that lives in “perpetual passion”. Its taste in costume is absurd, but only because
it is ages ahead in fashion. It knows any friend even if met only once. The Jubjub cannot be bribed and will always
assist in charitable endeavors, but never actually makes a donation. And the Jubjub is great to eat, tasting better
than “mutton, oysters or eggs.”
It’s a long poem, but worth reading and full of symbolism
if one is inclined to think so. What was Lewis Carroll thinking about when he
wrote it? Considering Alice in Wonderland and poems like this one, there has always
been speculation that he was on drugs. But there is no evidence to support that
claim. He was known to have a glass of
sherry on occasion and perhaps like many in this time may have consumed laudanum
on occasion. Perhaps he was in fact loaded when he was writing. I tend to think
not.
In my opinion he was using outrageous characters and wonderful
alliteration both satirically and seriously to entertain as well as to make his
readers think about life in the British Empire at that time. The age of discovery
was coming to an end. Most of the planet
was known and mapped, albeit with some errors and omissions. British aristocrats,
wealthy merchants, brave missionaries and hardy adventurers fortunate enough to
have sponsors were intent on exploration and fame. Intellectuals were
challenging The Church and The Crown with new ideas. The Industrial Revolution was
in full swing uplifting some while exploiting others.
Addressing the risks, as well as the opportunities, that
came with all of this may well be the point of Carroll’s writing. And it’s not a far reach to find application
in our world today. There seems to be a
good bit of Snark hunting going on and millions of Jubjubs standing behind the
ropes waiting to be devoured. And those
on the hunt for a Snark best pray they don’t end up with a Boojum.
“They
hunted till darkness came on, but they found
Not
a button, or feather, or mark,
By
which they could tell that they stood on the ground
Where
the Baker had met with the Snark.
In
the midst of the word he was trying to say,
In
the midst of his laughter and glee,
He
had softly and suddenly vanished away…
For
the Snark was a Boojum, you see.”
-Lewis
Carroll, from “The Hunting of the Snark”
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