In his poem "Jabberwocky", Lewis Carroll makes the assertion that context is critical in interpreting a work. Getting this information provides answers that previously may not have been considered. The point of "Jabberwocky" is to force readers to make an interpretation without context and think about the work to show how important context can be. Carroll employs this by his use of shift in mood, interesting word placement, and a unique diction. 

Carroll uses fake words and phrases to leave his intended meaning out of question for the readers, thus solidifying his belief that context is key in interpreting the work. He could have used normal and common words in place of his gibberish, but doing that would not have made his message as clear. In particular, if the word "brillig" was changed to a word such as "night", there would be more of an image painted and the reader could connect with the story more. The poem has unusual patterns that accent the awkward phrasing nicely. The opening stanza, read by itself, can be seen as bleak and morbid without the context of the rest of the poem. This is most exemplified by when he writes "Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre " (Carroll 1). That sentence is rather ominous and can be imagined in various ways. The contents of the poem are that to describe a scene between the Jabberwock and a boy and being placed after the opening stanza can be used to make the reader start to root for the boy and really connect with the story. Carroll then places the same opening stanza at the end of the poem as a way to emphasize the change in mood that the middle section of the poem has. Should Carroll have just left the introduction as that, then the ending would feel empty and unfulfilling. Likewise, if that stanza was only used as an ending, the poem would have a better ending but the body of it would be the part that is simple and uninteresting to read. 

If Carroll used all normal words, his argument for needing context would turn invalid. His use of this new language also helps in the changing mood that his tone has. Rather than having an immediate shift in the feeling the poem conveys, Carroll changes slowly shifts the mood throughout the poem until when the child kills the Jabberwock and the tone peaks at vast excitement and joy. If the middle parts of the poem were different and the child did not kill the Jabberwock, the tone of the ending would change in readers' interpretations. The context of the middle section allows for the ending to be seen as more joyous even though Carroll uses the exact same words. If he did not put the opening stanza where it is then the contents of the poem would provide some form of background information and context for the ending stanza. However, giving this information would change the tone and eliminate the contrasting textures of the piece. In the story itself, there is a contrast while describing the different characters in it. The son is described as standing in thoughts by a tree while the Jabberwock stares at him " with eyes of flame " (Carroll 1). The narrator has a grim disposition while warning of the beast but then changes their outlook when the son comes back from the fight. 

Knowing Carroll's background as an author can provide a greater deal of knowledge. His poems are known for their formal structure and utilization of schemes with contrasting non-formal language and diction to create a certain feeling of a rhyme that is more appreciated when knowing this background information. Even his writing the poem in iambic tetrameter with alternating rhyme scheme was foreign to the readers of his time. He ends one of the lines in the third stanza with the word "tree" which doesn't rhyme with "hand" as expected. Instead, he uses this form of word placement throughout the poem which builds anticipation. Using this meter may not seem like it has an effect on the contextual elements of the poem but coupled with the confusion his work already brings, it makes the reader want to have more information. His writing in Alice in Wonderland is similarly confusing and seems tricky at face value but the word placement and diction really force the mood to hit the reader and think more about the meaning.  This use of fake language and an unfamiliar form comes together to reinforce his overall meaning that contextual information is useful in interpreting any work. 

Carroll's use of mood shifting and implementation of unique wording increases the intellectual value of his work tremendously. This value then leads directly to the strength of his argument about the importance of context used in interpreting a work. Taking a work, or anything for that matter, at face value is always a mistake, finding a meaning or making an interpretation about something that requires context and background research can be much more fulfilling and lead to a vastly better understanding of the implications and value that the work inherently has. Whether done through a unique form of diction and word placement or by simply writing things straightforwardly, context is a great thing to have if interpreting a text or work.

