Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Nonsense Poetry and Whimsy

Introduction

Guiding Questions

• What is a Wonderland and how is it different from everyday life?
• How can we create our own Wonderlands through literature?

Learning Objectives

• Recall chapters from a young readers' version and poems from the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• Discuss fantastic imagery, both visual and textual, in various works of children's literature
• Understanding the basic concepts underpinning the literary uses of personification and onomatopeia
• Use the work of published illustrators and authors as inspiration for the creation of their own original poetry

Background Information for the Teacher

Many of the illustrations by John Tenniel from the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are available at Victorian Web (note: there are three pages of images—click on "Next Section" at the bottom of the page for the next page of images).

Preparing to Teach this Lesson

• Review the lesson plan and the websites used throughout. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and websites. Download and print out documents you will use and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.
• Students can access the primary source materials and some of the activity materials via the EDSITEment LaunchPad.
• If computer access is limited, procure or print out a copy of The Nursery "Alice" to read with students before and after any scheduled computer time.
• The Nursery "Alice" is written in an engaging and interactive manner, often asking questions of its reader. Be sure to give your class the opportunity to answer and consider these questions throughout the reading experience.
• A freely available online e-text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is available via the EDSITEment-reviewed Center for the Liberal Arts at the University of Virginia.

Suggested Activities

1. Visiting Wonderland

2. Join the Dance

3. "Turtle Soup"

1. Visiting Wonderland

Write the word "Wonderland" on the blackboard in large letters and ask students if they have ever heard of it. While some students might be familiar with the title of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, others may have different associations. Ask students if they think Wonderland is a place (like, for example, Disneyland). Why does the name of this place include the word "wonder"? Ask the children to close their eyes and try to imagine Wonderland. What do they see? To some students, Wonderland might be a place in their dreams or imaginations, while others might think of it as similar to an amusement park. Would they like to visit Wonderland? Why or why not?

Tell students that there is a famous book called Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, written over a hundred years ago (1865) by a man named Lewis Carroll. Explain to them that Carroll wrote two versions of his story—one for older children and one for children their age. Tell students that the version of the story that he wrote especially for younger children is called The Nursery "Alice," and that they are going to listen to it together in class.

An electronic version of The Nursery "Alice" can be accessed through the EDSITEment-reviewed Victorian Web site.

Read aloud the first five chapters of The Nursery "Alice." In Chapter One, Alice dreams of seeing the White Rabbit and falling down the rabbit hole. Emphasize that this event and all subsequent events and creatures in Wonderland are part of Alice's dream. Review the opening section of the story with students by using the EDSITEment "Sizing Up Alice" activity (requires Flash player).

In addition to the White Rabbit, who is introduced in Chapter One, several other creatures enter the story in Chapters Four and Five: the Dodo, the Duck, the Lory, the Eaglet, and the Lizard. Show students the illustrations so they can see what these animals look like. You might also wish to show them pictures of other creatures that appear later in the book (the Dear Little Puppy, the Blue Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle). Compare these animals to creatures found in other familiar children's stories, such as Where the Wild Things Are, The Rainbow Goblins, James and the Giant Peach, The Wind in the Willows, Winnie-the-Pooh, Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, or the many books of Dr. Seuss.

Discuss the ways that these creatures are similar to or different from animals the students might encounter in real life. Ask students: how are the animals in "Alice" are acting like people? Students may point out that the White Rabbit is wearing clothes, using a watch, and worried about being late. Have students practice saying "personification," explaining that is the name for when writers give human behaviors to animals. Ask students to give some more examples of personification from the other animals in the first few chapters.

Note that there is an extended introduction to the "Nursery Alice" in the complementary EDSITEment lesson plan: A Trip to Wonderland: The Nursery 'Alice'. Refer to that lesson plan for more suggestions on how to introduce the first few chapters to your students.

2. Join the Dance

After reading selections of The Nursery "Alice," Lewis Carroll's adaptation for younger children, turn to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to read some of the whimsical poetry that Carroll included in the full-length version of the story. Carroll's original version, with illustrations by Tenniel, has been widely published and is available in libraries and bookstores, and is also available online at the UVA E-text center, via the EDSITEment-reviewed Center for Liberal Arts.

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, electronic text

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,
"There's a porpoise close behind us and he's standing on my tail."
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the dance?
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance—
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.
"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France—Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance."
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?

Next, ask students to chant aloud with you the "Will you, wo'n't you…" sections of the poem. What do these lines sound like? Have them clap or dance along to notice the rhythm of the lines and their sing-song nature. The rhythm of the poem is inviting, so that those reading it are encourage to, in fact, "join the dance."

3. "Turtle Soup"

Ask students to recall stories or poems about special foods—e.g., Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, Maurice Sendak's Chicken Soup with Rice, or Rain Makes Applesauce, by Julian Scheer. You may wish to have some of these books on hand to read aloud. Then read aloud Carroll's poem "Turtle Soup," also from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau-ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau-ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo-oop of the e-e-evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!

Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish!
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup!
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup!
Beau-ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau-ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo-oop of the e-e-evening,
Beautiful, beauti-FUL SOUP!

Ask students to think of the most unusual or wonderful foods that they can imagine. From what ingredients would these foods be made? What would these foods taste like? What colors would they be? Who would eat these foods, and where? What sounds could they use to convey how they eat these foods? Students may slurp spaghetti, crunch crackers, and so on. While students may not necessarily understand the word "onomatopoeia," their love of sounds and food certainly will help them understand the concept.

Assessment

• Have students write their own verses featuring fantasy creatures from the poems and stories they've read or ones they create own their own. If teaching this lesson alongside with the EDSITEment lesson plan A Trip to Wonderland: The Nursery 'Alice', see Activity 4 and the Assessment section of that lesson for suggestions how students can create fantasy creatures of their own. Younger students (grades K-1) may use invented spelling to create funny sentences about their animals, while older students (grade 2) may write short stories or poems.
• Have students create "funny food" verses of their own. When the verses are complete, you might want to create a bulletin board display or publish the students' work in a class anthology. Ask students to think about the sounds they make while eating or drinking this food, and how they might include those sounds in the poem.

Extending the Lesson

Selected EDSITEment Websites

• Center for the Liberal Arts [http://www.virginia.edu/cla/]
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    [http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/CarAlic.html]
  • The Lobster Quadrille
    [http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=CarAlic.sgm!s=images/
    modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public"=11&division=div1]
• Victorian Web
  [http://www.victorianweb.org/]
  • Biography of Dodgson
    [http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/carroll/bio1.html]
  • Many of the illustrations by John Tenniel from the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    [http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/gallery1.html]
  • The Nursery "Alice"
    [http://home.earthlink.net/~lfdean/carroll/nursery/index.html]