Further nonsense verse and prose — Text and Context

Parody and Alliteration in 'Wilhelm von Schmitz'

The extended poem 'Wilhelm von Schmitz' demonstrates Carroll's fondness for exaggerated alliteration and metrical play. In one passage, the poet mutters 'death—saith—breath' before producing lines like 'Whirled by its fiery breath' and 'was doomed to watery death,' then congratulates himself on the 'Coleridge's principle of alliteration' with 'W. D., W. D.' The self-mocking tone is typical: the poet is immediately arrested on suspicion of murder. The narrative also includes a waiter's subterranean soliloquy and a series of stanzas addressed to 'Sukie,' mixing sentimental cliché with absurd plot twists. The humor derives from the gap between the poet's high-flown language and the mundane, chaotic events that follow.

Legal and Social Satire in the Prose

Several prose pieces in the collection parody legal and social conventions. In 'Wilhelm von Schmitz,' the poet is 'collared by two men from behind' and told 'what you say will be used in evidence against you,' a direct echo of police caution. The character Muggle interrupts the poet's recitation to accuse him of drowning a waiter, leading to a farcical interrogation. The narrator archly notes that 'to record with rigid accuracy the progress of events is the sole duty of the historian,' a mock-heroic stance that undercuts the drama. Other pieces, such as 'Hints for Etiquette; or, Dining Out Made Easy' and 'On Waiters,' likely extend this vein of social observation, though the excerpts do not include them.

Acrostics and Formal Play

The table of contents lists 'Acrostics' and 'Rhymed Correspondence,' indicating Carroll's interest in constrained forms. The excerpts do not include these pieces, but the foreword notes that many letters to child friends were examined, suggesting that the acrostics may have been originally composed for specific recipients. The collection also includes 'A Lesson in Latin' and 'Poetry for the Million,' titles that hint at parody of educational and popular verse. The inclusion of 'The Mouse's Tail' (a typographic poem from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) reinforces the volume's emphasis on visual and verbal ingenuity. Readers familiar with Carroll's longer works will recognize his signature blend of logic and absurdity in these shorter forms.

Because the excerpts are drawn from only a portion of the collection, readers should approach the full text with an eye for how Carroll's nonsense operates as both entertainment and critique. The pieces reward attention to meter, puns, and the tension between formal structure and chaotic content. Reed's editorial choices—including the selection of letters and early newspaper publications—shape the portrait of Carroll as a writer of occasional, often ephemeral, humor.

There’s a particular ache in watching Carroll’s wordplay—those swift, private jokes meant for a friend’s ear—knowing how much context we’ve since lost. I felt that again in the rowdy, teeming streets of The True History of Tom & Jerry or, The Day and Night Scenes, of Life in London from the Start to the Finish! — A Closer Reading, where every slangy aside once needed its own translator. Time makes us outsiders.