The Snark is the fictional monster that Lewis Carroll created in his nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark. His descriptions of the creature were, in his own words, unimaginable, and he wanted that to remain so.^[1] Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) - believed to be a self-portrait Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (January 27, 1832 – January 14, 1898), better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman, and photographer. ... Lewis Carrolls The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits) is a nonsense poem about a group of adventurers hunting a legendary beast. ...

The origin of the word

Martin Gardner mentions several combinations of words that have been suggested to be at the origin of the name: snail and shark, snake and shark, snarl and bark and etc. None of this is supported by the text, and no one has offered a reason as to why the wonderful word Snark should need an explanation. Martin Gardner (b. ...

What Lewis Carroll asked the children

Lewis Carroll was of course asked repeatedly to explain the Snark. Gardner gives us five examples that are on record. In all of them, Carroll's answer is that he doesn't know himself, that he can't explain, etc. His most interesting answer: ...Some children are puzzled with it. Of course you know what a Snark is? If you do, please tell me...

How Lewis Carroll has the hunting party imagine the unimaginable

There are several different varieties of snark. Some have feathers and bite, and some have whiskers and scratch. Some are Boojums, which appear a more dangerous kind. When a baker met with this variety, he softly and suddenly vanished away and was never met with again. A particularly dangerous kind of Snark. ...

The taste of the snark is meager and hollow, but crisp (apparently like a coat that is too tight in the waist), with a flavor of Will-o-the-wisp. It is sometimes served with greens. It also sleeps late into the day. While the snark is very ambitious, and has very little sense of humor, it is very fond of bathing-machines, and constantly carries them about wherever it goes. It is also handy for striking a light. The bathing machine was a device which flourished in the 19th century to allow people to wade in the ocean at beaches without violating Victorian notions of modesty. ...

The domain of the snark is an island filled with chasms and crags, many months' sail from England. On the same island may also be found other creatures such as the Jubjub and Bandersnatch. It is the same island where the Jabberwock was slain. The snark is a peculiar creature that cannot be captured in a commonplace way. Above all, courage is required during a snark hunt. The most common method is to seek it with thimbles, care, forks and hope. One may also 'threaten its life with a railway share' or 'charm it with smiles and soap'. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... The Jubjub bird is a dangerous creature mentioned in Lewis Carrolls nonsense poems Jabberwocky and The Hunting of the Snark. ... The Bandersnatch is a fictional creature mentioned in Lewis Carrolls poem Jabberwocky. ... Jabberwocky is a poem of nonsense verse written by Lewis Carroll, and found as a part of his novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). ... A thimble A thimble is a protective shield worn on the finger or thumb. ... Assorted forks. ... Hope is an emotional belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances within ones personal life. ...

References

1. ^ The Annotated Snark, edited by Martin Gardner, Penguin Books, 1974

External links

• Gutenberg's full text of the poem
• Full text with original illustrations