Phantasmagoria and Other Poems

Novelist's Biography:

Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a British writer, mathematician, and photographer. He was born on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, and died on January 14, 1898, in Guildford, Surrey, England.

Carroll is best known for his children's books, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and its sequel, "Through the Looking-Glass." He was also a respected mathematician and logician, known for his contributions to the field of symbolic logic.

Carroll began writing at a young age and published his first piece of work, a romantic poem, in 1854. However, it was the publication of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" in 1865 that brought him widespread fame and acclaim.

Despite his success as a writer, Carroll was a deeply private person and struggled with his public image. He was known to have had close relationships with several young girls, which has led to speculation about his personal life and intentions.

Overall, Lewis Carroll remains a beloved figure in the world of children's literature and a respected scholar in the fields of mathematics and logic.

Synopsis:

"Phantasmagoria and Other Poems" is a collection of poems written by Lewis Carroll and published in 1869. The collection includes 31 poems, some of which are humorous, while others are dark and mysterious.

The title poem, "Phantasmagoria," is a narrative poem that tells the story of a man who encounters a ghost while walking through a graveyard. The ghost proceeds to tell the man a series of bizarre and nonsensical stories, leading the man to question his own sanity.

Other notable poems in the collection include "The Jabberwocky," which features Carroll's trademark nonsense words and surreal imagery, and "Haddocks' Eyes," a humorous poem about a man who becomes obsessed with the idea of having haddock's eyes.

Overall, "Phantasmagoria and Other Poems" showcases Carroll's talent for blending humor, absurdity, and the macabre, and remains a popular work of poetry to this day.