Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland

T
HE
L
OST
R
HYMES OF
W
ONDERLAND

J.T. HOLDEN

ILLUSTRATIONS BY

ANDREW JOHNSON

C
A N D L E S H O E

books for the Imagination

Chicago     New York

Text copyright © 2011 by J.T. Holden

Illustrations by Andrew Johnson copyright © 2011 by Candleshoe Books

All rights reserved.

Published by Candleshoe Books.

CANDLESHOE, the WAX SEAL LOGO, and associated logos

are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Candleshoe Books.

Grateful acknowledgement is made to following for their technical contributions:

Jean Kunold, Laura Forney, Lynne Kuefler, Kris Stevens, and Paul Fiorelli.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, visit us on the world wide web at
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CIP data available

ISBN-13: 978-09825089-2-3 • ISBN-10: 0-9825089-2-1

First Kindle Edition

“A compilation of masterful, original poetry. From the absurdity of the verse to the well-composed rhyme to the shrewd black-and-white illustrations, this book is certainly a literature lover’s delight!”

—The Children’s Book Review

“Rich in dramatic irony…sophisticated and amusing…the two writers [Holden and Carroll] become nearly indistinguishable.”

—ForeWord Reviews

“A deftly crafted compendium of original poetry, accompanied by superb black-and-white illustrations. Classic elements of both Wonderland and Looking-Glass are imaginatively reinterpreted for a thoroughly unique and entertaining reading experience. Highly recommended for academic and community library collections,
Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland
should be included on any supplemental reading list for students and fans of Carroll’s original works.”

—The Midwest Book Review

For

Kathy & Sherri

&

Jo

I
NTRODUCTION

D
OWN
THE
R
ABBIT
-H
OLE
A
GAIN

THE
B
OTTLE
&
THE
B
ISCUIT
B
OX

THE
C
ATERPILLAR
’
S
L
ESSON
ON
R
HETORIC
& R
HYME

THE
M
ARINER’S
T
ALE

THE
S
UBJECTIVE
R
EVIEW

THE
C
OOK
,
THE
P
IG
,
THE
C
AT
&
HIS
D
UCHESS

THE
T
EA
P
ARTY
R
ESUMES

A
S
LIGHT
D
ETOUR
T
HROUGH
THE
L
OOKING
-G
LASS

D
EE
& D
UM

THE
W
ALRUS
&
THE
C
ARPENTER
H
EAD
B
ACK

THE
B
ATTLE

I
N
THE
G
ARDEN
OF
H
EARTS

THE
T
RIAL
B
EGINS

THE
H
ATTER’S
D
EFENCE

THE
H
ARE
’
S
R
EBUTTAL
&
THE
H
ATTER’S
R
EBUKE

THE
K
NAVE
OF
H
EARTS
R
EPENTS

THE
Q
UEEN’S
S
ENTENCE

THE
R
OYAL
F
LUSH

W
AKING

THE
W
HITE
R
ABBIT

A
LICE
IN
F
REE
-F
ALL

A
LICE
IN
-D
ECISION

A
P
OOL
OF
T
EARS

THE
C
ATERPILLAR

THE
B
LACKEST
W
ATERS

THE
F
LIGHT OF
THE
O
RATOR

I
N
THE
K
ITCHEN
OF
THE
D
UCHESS’S
C
OOK

A
H
EATED
D
ISCOURSE

C
AT ON A
L
IMB

T
EA
& S
OLILOQUY

THE
D
ORMOUSE’S
R
EVELATION

A
LICE
IN
R
EVERSE

L
OOKING
-G
LASS
L
AND

THE
T
WINS

THE
M
OON
&
THE
S
UN

A
M
OONLIT
S
TROLL
A
LONG
THE
B
RINY
B
EACH

I
NTO
THE
S
INKING
S
AND

THE
E
LDEST
O
YSTER

A
LICE
IN
R
ETREAT

O
N
THE
C
ROQUET
G
ROUNDS

THE
W
AR OF THE
R
OSES

A
LICE
&
THE
D
UCHESS

THE
R
OYAL
C
OURT

THE
R
ABBIT
R
EPORTS

THE
H
ARE
D
ECLARES

THE
H
ATTER
P
ONTIFICATES

THE
M
AD
C
LASH

THE
H
ARE
D
EFERS

THE
K
NAVE OF
H
EARTS

THE
Q
UEEN OF
H
EARTS

THE
E
VER-WANING
L
IGHT

P
ANDEMONIUM

THE
C
RIMSON
Q
UEEN

A
LICE IN
R
EPOSE

I
n 1865 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson published
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
under the pen-name Lewis Carroll. The sequel,
Through the Looking-Glass & What Alice Found There
, followed in 1871. During the nine years Dodgson spent writing the two books that would cement his pen-name and reputation in children’s literature for generations to come, he had compiled numerous poems and snippets of verse—only a scant number of which ultimately made their way onto the pages of his masterpiece and its sequel. Shortly after Dodgson’s death at the age of 66 in 1898, rumours began to surface of ‘the lost rhymes’—a collection of poetry that presumably shed more light on the subject of Wonderland and the Looking-Glass world. Understandably, questions abounded: Who
really
stole the Queen’s tarts? Whatever
did
become of the Walrus and the Carpenter
after
their nefarious jot down the briny beach with the little Oysters? Is there truly
any
sense to be found in nonsense at all?

Of course, this was all highly speculative. No one had ever actually
seen
these so-called ‘lost rhymes’—and if in fact they
had
existed in the first place, it was generally assumed the author had taken the secret of their whereabouts with him…

That is the tale, as told by my grandfather, back in a time when I was still small enough to settle on his knee for a story—long before I ever put pen to paper, or had the slightest notion that I would one day make a living telling stories. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, it should be noted that my grandfather was both an Irishman and a storyteller (which, arguably, are one and the same) and had long been known to put a little polish on a story from time to time—that is, of course, when he wasn’t making one up out of whole cloth. But whether or not the legend of the Lost Rhymes was merely a product of a clever old man’s imagination, spun solely for the entertainment of an inquisitive boy with a depthless capacity for puzzles, mysteries, and all things unattainable, was inconsequential. The seed had been planted, and already experimental tendrils had begun poking up from the soil. If there was even a
grain
of truth to the tale, the
slightest
chance that the Lost Rhymes might possibly be out there, I was certain that I would find them. Or so I believed back in those heady days of the ‘unclouded brow and dreaming eyes of wonder’.