Alice in Wonderland in Verse

By Paul Buchheit

The classic story "Alice in Wonderland" is presented here in a modern version, with unique patterns of rhythm and rhyme that should make it appealing to both children and parents. The translation remains faithful to the original work except for the updating of archaic language and references.

In addition to the melodic verse (iambic hexameter with aabb rhyming), original sketches by 19th- and 20th-century artists are included to enhance the reading experience.

The story should be read as prose rather than as line-by-line verse, in order to allow the meter and rhyme to emerge naturally.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Buchheit
• Release date: Apr 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463330012

Paul Buchheit

Buchheit is the author of books, poems, essays, and journal articles. His 2017 book "Disposable Americans" was published by Routledge. For over ten years he published weekly essays on online news sites, where his work was well received, including tens of thousands of 'likes' on several pieces. He was named one of the 300 Living Peace and Justice Leaders by the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development.

Book preview

Alice in Wonderland

in Verse

Paul Buchheit

To the Reader

The classic story Alice in Wonderland is presented here in a modern version, with unique patterns of rhythm and rhyme that should make it appealing to both children and parents. The translation remains faithful to the original work except for the updating of archaic language and references.

In addition to the melodic verse (iambic hexameter with aabb rhyming), original sketches by 19th- and 20th-century artists are included to enhance the reading experience.

The story should be read as prose rather than as line-by-line verse, in order to allow the meter and rhyme to emerge naturally.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 2: The Pool of Tears

Chapter 3: The Dodo and the Mouse's Tale

Chapter 4: The Rabbit's House

Chapter 5: A Caterpillar and a Pigeon

Chapter 6: The Pepper and the Pig

Chapter 7: A Mad Tea-Party

Chapter 8: Queen's Croquet and the Cheshire Cat

Chapter 9: The Gryphon and the Mock Turtle

Chapter 10: The Lobster Dance

Chapter 11: Trial: The Knave of Hearts and Stolen Tarts

Chapter 12: Alice's Evidence

Chapter 1

How bored was Alice! Sitting by the riverside,

with nothing much to do, her sister occupied

beside her with a book, a dullish exercise

without a single page of art to please the eyes,

and what's the use of that? So, feeling half-asleep

on such a steamy day, she thought of ways to keep

alert, like picking daisies, but the energy

consumed would bring to mind the fine reality

of being lazy. As she rested, though, a white

and wide-eyed rabbit hurried by, a pleasant sight

but unremarkable enough on normal days,

yet now there came about a matter to amaze

a little girl in any mood: the rabbit talked!

Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be late! he said, and walked

as he was muttering. To Alice's surprise

he had a coat, and in a most un-bunnywise

display he pulled a pocket watch to check the time.

Now Alice was befuddled, finding little rhyme

or reason for a rabbit in a human's pose,

and she was mesmerized so fully that she chose

to be impulsive when a rabbit hole appeared

and she went tumbling down, no consequences feared

behind the rabbit with the timepiece. Just inside

there was a tunnel. She prepared herself to slide

and roll a little ways, but then the tunnel dropped

and Alice flew and flailed and flopped, and never stopped,

but somehow seemed to slow herself, as if the air

were thick as water, till her mind was unaware

of any movement as she floated through the dark

and silent space. But in a little while her stark

surroundings seemed to change. On every side the walls

were filled with shelves and cupboards, almost like the halls

back home. On one a jar was labeled 'marmalade,'

and Alice, getting hungry, ended up dismayed

that it was empty, so she put it back -- with care,

of course, since she was moving through the empty air.

She thought about the many curiosities

of her adventure. "After this, I'll fall with ease

from any height, with little fear. How very brave

they'll think I am at home!" But Alice couldn't rave

too long about her fearlessness, for matters more

immediate were pending: would she stop before

she reached the bottom, would she ever touch a floor

again? "I've dropped a thousand miles, or maybe four –

why, that's the very center of the earth!" Out loud

she posed that fact from school, while feeling rather proud

of all her knowledge. What's my current latitude?

she asked, although to what the concept might allude

she didn't know. "I'm going down, that's all I know,

then down some more! I wonder, could I fall below

the bottom of the earth, with people upside-down?

'An-TIP-athies' I think they're called." At once a frown

was on her face, because her comment made no sense.

I'll have to ask a person there, Don't take offense,

is this New Zealand?" While reflecting, Alice tried

to curtsy, but the effort looked undignified

in empty space. "They'll think me ignorant. Perhaps

it's better that I read their signs." Amidst her lapse

in concentration Alice slowly fluttered down

u ntil she wondered if it's possible to drown

in heavy air. With nothing else for her to do,

she talked a little more. "Well, I'll be missed, it's true.

My little kitty Dinah -- how I hope she gets

her plate of milk tonight! We can't forget our pets.

If you were here, dear Dinah, maybe we could find

a bat for you. There must be many, flying blind

in all this darkness. Cats eat bats, I do believe."

A passerby, if one could be, would now perceive

a drowsiness in Alice as her aimless talk

(do bats eat cats?) and lazy dreams about a walk

with Dinah filled her head with happy thoughts -- till THUMP!

She landed on a grassy heap with just a bump

and nothing else. She bounded up and looked around

but all was dark with little sound, until she found

a narrow passageway sufficiently aglow

to show the rabbit far ahead, and Alice, slow

to act but having not a tick of time to waste,

exhibited a spurt of unfamiliar haste

to catch the little creature. When she came behind

him, anguished noises could be heard: The rabbit whined,

My ears and whiskers fail me now, it's getting late!

But then he turned, and Alice couldn't navigate

the corner. By the time she looked around the bend

he wasn't anywhere, and now from start to end