Reeling and Writhing

Most anyone you come across on the street will be able to tell you at least a general synopsis of Lewis Carroll's 1860's children's story, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". It's a cultural and literary icon, and in my opinion, every bit of its status is deserved. However, the several versions of the story that thankfully ensure the perpetuation of artistic interpretation cause some elements of the original to become lesser known than others; case in point, one of my favorite scenes--Alice's conversation with the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle.

To summarize, while in the Queen of Hearts' court, Alice encounters two creatures called the Gryphon (as the story quite amusingly states, a picture is provided with the text for anyone who doesn't know what a Gryphon is) and its friend, the crying Mock Turtle. She's told the Mock Turtle's story, and it talks about its life at school. Alice asks about the courses it took, to which the Mock Turtle responds, "I only took the regular course... Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with".

I post poetry and other art on Instagram: @reeling_and_writhing