One of the best gifts I have received in my years of teaching is a slim volume of The Hunting of the Snark. Nonsense, but not-nonsense, in its sparse lines an entire universe for you to escape into. It is, a la Coleridge, an agony in eight fits, and it is something to relish, a way of quietly rebelling against the quelling years, during this almost annus horribilis.
Martin Gardner has written enough for an entire year’s worth of thought, and who is to say that this is no more worthy than any other pursuit? It begins, shouting:
“Just the place for a Snark!” the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.”- Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark
And in its pages, I find that there is hope, hope, hope for every man who dares to step up.
Every Man
Casting CrownsIs there hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
Is there hope for every man
Is there love that never dies
Is there peace in troubled times
Someone help me understand
Is there hope for every manSeems there’s just so many roads to travel, it’s hard to tell where they will lead
My life is scarred and my dreams unraveled
Now I’m scared to take the leap
If I could find someone to follow who knows my pain and feels the weight
The uncertainty of my tomorrow, the guilt and pain of yesterday
Comment (1)
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
- Joseph Goebbels